Syntexis libocedrii

Syntexis libocedrii, (also called the cedar wood wasp or incense-cedar wood wasp) is the only living species in the wood wasp family Anaxyelidae, within the Symphyta, though the family has an extensive Mesozoic fossil record.^[2] This species is thus a "living fossil". It has the remarkable behavior of greatly favoring ovipositing in recently burnt incense-cedar (Calocedrus), red cedar (Thuja) or juniper (Juniperus). The wood is often still smoldering while the wasp is laying its eggs, and the larvae develop in the wood.^[3] S. libocedrii occurs from the mountains of central California to southern British Columbia, but is very rarely seen, except by firefighters.

Syntexis libocedrii
Adult female from Oregon[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Superfamily:	Siricoidea
Family:	Anaxyelidae
Subfamily:	Syntexinae
Genus:	Syntexis
Species:	S. libocedrii
Binomial name
Syntexis libocedrii Rohwer, 1915

References

1. Seltmann 2004, p. 396
2. "Syntexis libocedrii Rohwer, 1915". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
3. Schiff, N.M. (December 2000). "Insects associated with forest fires in Northern California and Oregon". Entomological Society of America meeting. Montreal.

Bibliography

• Seltmann, Katja Chantre (December 2004). Building web-based interactive keys to the hymenopteran families and superfamilies (PDF). College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky. Archived from the original (M Sc Thesis) on 3 December 2011.