The Megalodontesidae (until recently spelled Megalodontidae,[1] a name already in use for a family of fossil molluscs) are a small family of sawflies, containing a single living genus, Megalodontes, with some 40 species restricted to the temperate regions of Eurasia. Larvae of Megalodontesidae feed on herbaceous plants. They are distinguished from the closely related Pamphiliidae by their serrate or pectinate antennae.[2]
In 2016, a phylogenetic analysis of the superfamily Pamphilioidea found that the extinct family Praesiricidae was paraphyletic with respect to Megalodontesidae, so Praesiricidae was proposed as a synonym of Megalodontesidae.[3]
Genera
As of 2016, the following genera belong to the family Megalodontesidae, divided into four subfamilies:[3]
^Hymenoptera of the world : an identification guide to families. Goulet, Henri., Huber, John T. (John Theodore), Canada. Agriculture Canada. Research Branch. Ottawa, Ont.: Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research. 1993. ISBN0-660-14933-8. OCLC28024976.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
R.B. Benson: Handbook for the identification of British insects. Vol IV: Hymenoptera. 2. Symphyta Section a. Published by the Royal Entomological Society of London, 1951.
