horntail

/hawrn"tayl'/, n.

any of various wasplike insects of the family Siricidae, the females of which have a hornlike ovipositor.

[1880-85; HORN + TAIL¹]

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▪ wasp

 any of about 85 species of solitary (nonsocial), primitive wasps (order Hymenoptera), classified in five different genera, that are moderately large, some reaching 3.75 cm (about 1.5 inches) in length. The cylindrical body is usually brown, blue, or black, often with yellow spots or bands. The abdomen is connected broadly to the thorax, or midsection, and terminates in a harmless hornlike projection, for which the insect is named. The head is strikingly broad, and the eyes are small.

      Female horntails have a conspicuous ovipositor that is used to drill a hole into a dead or dying tree, in which they lay their eggs. The larvae tunnel through the tree for about two years, eating symbiotic fungi that grow on the wood. The fungus is introduced into the tree by the female when laying the egg. The insects are seldom economically destructive. Pupation takes place in a cocoon of silk and sawdust.

      The most common North American species is the pigeon tremex (Tremex columba). The adult is about 3.75 cm (1.5 inches) long and has a black and brown body with yellow stripes and yellow legs. The most common British species is Urocerus gigas, which feeds on the wood of pine trees.

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