horntail

noun

horn·​tail ˈhȯrn-ˌtāl 

: any of various hymenopterous insects (family Siricidae) related to the typical sawflies but having females with a stout hornlike ovipositor and larvae that burrow in woody plants

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

More than 6,000 horntail snails have been plucked from the ground in South Florida, in what the state agriculture department describes as a successful campaign to eliminate the non-native pest from commercial nurseries. —David Fleshler, sun-sentinel.com, 6 Jan. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above