See text The Pergidae are a moderate-sized family of sawflies occurring in the Western Hemisphere and the Australasian Region.

Morphologically, most pergids are typically sawfly-like, but the form of the antennae varies considerably in number of segments and from simple to serrate and pectinate or even bipectinate.

Included are some of the few known apterous sawflies, those of the genus Cladomacra occurring in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, and a species with brachypterous females, Clarissa tasbates, in Tasmania.

[1] In the Australasian Region, Pergidae occur in Australia (including Tasmania) and the islands of New Guinea and New Britain.

Adult habits are known for few, but maternal care is known in some Australian species of the subfamilies Perginae and Philomastiginae and the South American Syzygoniinae.

Some species are of concern to agriculture in Australia (Queensland), Brazil, and Uruguay, where larvae are known to be poisonous to livestock if ingested.

Lophyrotoma zonalis from Australia has been considered for release against Melaleuca quinquenervia in Florida, and Heteroperreyia hubrichi against the Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolius.