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