Apocrita
Encyclopedia
Apocrita is a suborder of insect
s in the order Hymenoptera.
Apocrita includes wasp
s, bee
s and ant
s, and consists of many families. It includes the most advanced hymenopterans and is distinguished from Symphyta
by the narrow "waist" (petiole
) formed between the first two segments of the actual abdomen
; the first abdominal segment is fused to the thorax, and is called the propodeum
. Therefore, it is general practice, when discussing the body of an apocritan in a technical sense, to refer to the mesosoma
and metasoma
(or "gaster") rather than the "thorax" and "abdomen", respectively. The ovipositor
of the female either extends freely or is retracted, and may be developed into a sting
for both defense and paralyzing prey. Larvae are legless and blind, and either feed inside a host (plant or animal) or in a nest cell provisioned by their mother.
_on_tribulus_terrestris_w_img_1020.jpg)
Apocrita has historically been split into two groups, "Parasitica" and Aculeata
, but these are rankless groupings in present classifications, if they appear at all. Parasitica is an artificial (paraphyletic) group comprising the majority of hymenopteran insects, with respective members living as parasitoid
s on what amounts to nearly "every other species of insect", and many non-insects. Most species are small, with the ovipositor adapted for piercing. In some hosts the parasitoids induce metamorphosis prematurely, and in others it is prolonged. There are even species that are hyperparasite
s (that which are parasitoids on other parasitoids). The Parasitica lay their egg
s inside or on another insect (egg, larva or pupa) and their larvae grow and develop within or on that host. The host is nearly always killed. Many parasitic hymenopterans
are used as biological control control agents to control pests, such as caterpillar
s, true bugs and hoppers
, flies
, and weevil
s.
Aculeata is a monophyletic group that includes those species in which the female's ovipositor
is modified into a "stinger
" to inject venom
rather than eggs. Groups include the familiar ants, bees and various types of parasitic and predatory wasps; it also includes all of the social hymenopterans.
Among the non-parasitic and non-social Aculeata, larvae are fed with captured prey (typically alive and paralyzed) or may be fed pollen and nectar. The social
Aculeata feed their young prey (paper wasp
s and hornet
s), or pollen
and nectar (bees), or perhaps seeds, fungi, or even non-viable eggs (ants).
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s in the order Hymenoptera.
Apocrita includes wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
s, bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s and ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s, and consists of many families. It includes the most advanced hymenopterans and is distinguished from Symphyta
Sawfly
Sawfly is the common name for insects belonging to suborder Symphyta of the order Hymenoptera. Sawflies are distinguishable from most other Hymenoptera by the broad connection between the abdomen and the thorax, and by their caterpillar-like larvae...
by the narrow "waist" (petiole
Petiole (insect)
In entomology, the term petiole is most commonly used to refer to the constricted first metasomal segment of members of the Hymenopteran suborder Apocrita; it may be used to refer to other insects with similar body shapes, where the metasomal base is constricted...
) formed between the first two segments of the actual abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
; the first abdominal segment is fused to the thorax, and is called the propodeum
Propodeum
The propodeum is the first abdominal segment in Apocrita Hymenoptera . It is fused with the thorax to form the mesosoma. It is a single large sclerite, not subdivided, and bears a pair of spiracles. It is strongly constricted posteriorly to form the articulation of the petiole, and gives apocritans...
. Therefore, it is general practice, when discussing the body of an apocritan in a technical sense, to refer to the mesosoma
Mesosoma
The mesosoma is the middle part of the body, or tagma, of arthropods whose body is composed of three parts, the other two being the prosoma and the metasoma. It bears the legs, and, in the case of winged insects, the wings....
and metasoma
Metasoma
The metasoma is the posterior part of the body, or tagma, of arthropods whose body is composed of three parts, the other two being the prosoma and the mesosoma. In insects, it contains most of the digestive tract, respiratory system, and circulatory system, and the apical segments are typically...
(or "gaster") rather than the "thorax" and "abdomen", respectively. The ovipositor
Ovipositor
The ovipositor is an organ used by some animals for oviposition, i.e., the laying of eggs. It consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages formed to transmit the egg, to prepare a place for it, and to place it properly...
of the female either extends freely or is retracted, and may be developed into a sting
Stinger
-Biology:* Stinger, an organ or body part found in various animals that usually delivers some kind of venom.* Stinger , a minor neurological injury suffered by athletes.-Sports and entertainment:...
for both defense and paralyzing prey. Larvae are legless and blind, and either feed inside a host (plant or animal) or in a nest cell provisioned by their mother.
Aculeata
The name Aculeata is used to refer to a monophyletic lineage of Hymenoptera. The word "Aculeata" is a reference to the defining feature of the group, which is the modification of the ovipositor into a stinger . In other words, the structure that was originally used to lay eggs is modified instead...
, but these are rankless groupings in present classifications, if they appear at all. Parasitica is an artificial (paraphyletic) group comprising the majority of hymenopteran insects, with respective members living as parasitoid
Parasitoid
A parasitoid is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life history attached to or within a single host organism in a relationship that is in essence parasitic; unlike a true parasite, however, it ultimately sterilises or kills, and sometimes consumes, the host...
s on what amounts to nearly "every other species of insect", and many non-insects. Most species are small, with the ovipositor adapted for piercing. In some hosts the parasitoids induce metamorphosis prematurely, and in others it is prolonged. There are even species that are hyperparasite
Hyperparasite
A hyperparasite is a parasite whose host is a parasite. This form of parasitism is especially common among entomophagous parasites....
s (that which are parasitoids on other parasitoids). The Parasitica lay their egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s inside or on another insect (egg, larva or pupa) and their larvae grow and develop within or on that host. The host is nearly always killed. Many parasitic hymenopterans
Parasitic wasp
The term parasitoid wasp refers to a large evolutionary grade of hymenopteran superfamilies, mainly in the Apocrita. They are primarily parasitoids of other animals, mostly other arthropods...
are used as biological control control agents to control pests, such as caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s, true bugs and hoppers
Hemiptera
Hemiptera is an order of insects most often known as the true bugs , comprising around 50,000–80,000 species of cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and others...
, flies
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
, and weevil
Weevil
A weevil is any beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. They are usually small, less than , and herbivorous. There are over 60,000 species in several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae...
s.
Aculeata is a monophyletic group that includes those species in which the female's ovipositor
Ovipositor
The ovipositor is an organ used by some animals for oviposition, i.e., the laying of eggs. It consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages formed to transmit the egg, to prepare a place for it, and to place it properly...
is modified into a "stinger
Stinger (organ)
A sting, sometimes called a stinger in the US, is a sharp organ or body part found in various animals that delivers some kind of venom . A true sting differs from other piercing structures in that it pierces by its own action and injects venom, as opposed to teeth, which pierce by the force of...
" to inject venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
rather than eggs. Groups include the familiar ants, bees and various types of parasitic and predatory wasps; it also includes all of the social hymenopterans.
Among the non-parasitic and non-social Aculeata, larvae are fed with captured prey (typically alive and paralyzed) or may be fed pollen and nectar. The social
Eusociality
Eusociality is a term used for the highest level of social organization in a hierarchical classification....
Aculeata feed their young prey (paper wasp
Paper wasp
Paper wasps are -long wasps that gather fibers from dead wood and plant stems, which they mix with saliva, and use to construct water-resistant nests made of gray or brown papery material...
s and hornet
Hornet
Hornets are the largest eusocial wasps; some species can reach up to in length. The true hornets make up the genus Vespa and are distinguished from other vespines by the width of the vertex , which is proportionally larger in Vespa and by the anteriorly rounded gasters .- Life cycle :In...
s), or pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
and nectar (bees), or perhaps seeds, fungi, or even non-viable eggs (ants).
Extant families and superfamilies
- Suborder Apocrita
- (unranked) AculeataAculeataThe name Aculeata is used to refer to a monophyletic lineage of Hymenoptera. The word "Aculeata" is a reference to the defining feature of the group, which is the modification of the ovipositor into a stinger . In other words, the structure that was originally used to lay eggs is modified instead...
- Superfamily ApoideaApoideaThe superfamily Apoidea is a major group within the Hymenoptera, which includes two traditionally-recognized lineages, the "sphecoid" wasps, and the bees, who appear to be their descendants.- Nomenclature :...
(beeBeeBees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s and sphecoid wasps)- Family AndrenidaeAndrenidaeThe family Andrenidae is a large cosmopolitan non-parasitic bee family, with most of the diversity in temperate and/or arid areas , including some truly enormous genera...
(mason bees) - Family ApidaeApidaeThe Apidae are a large family of bees, comprising the common honey bees, stingless bees , carpenter bees, orchid bees, cuckoo bees, bumblebees, and various other less well-known groups...
(carpenter beeCarpenter beeCarpenter bees are large, hairy bees distributed worldwide. There are some 500 species of carpenter bee in 31 subgenera...
s, digger bees, cuckoo beeCuckoo beeThe term cuckoo bee is used for a variety of different bee lineages which have evolved the kleptoparasitic habit of laying their eggs in the nests of other bees, reminiscent of the behavior of cuckoo birds. The name is technically best applied to the apid subfamily Nomadinae...
s, bumble bees, orchid bees, stingless beeStingless beeStingless bees, sometimes called stingless honey bees or simply meliponines, are a large group of bees, comprising the tribe Meliponini . They belong in the family Apidae, and are closely related to common honey bees, carpenter bees, orchid bees and bumblebees...
s, and honeybees) - Family ColletidaeColletidaeColletidae is a family of bees, and are often referred to collectively as plasterer bees or polyester bees, due to the method of smoothing the walls of their nest cells with secretions applied with their mouthparts; these secretions dry into a cellophane-like lining...
(yellow-faced bees and plasterer bees) - Family DasypodaidaeDasypodaidaeThe family Dasypodaidae is a small bee family, with more than one hundred species in eight genera, found in Africa and the northern temperate zone, primarily in xeric habitats....
- Family HalictidaeHalictidaeHalictidae is a cosmopolitan family of the order Hymenoptera consisting of small to midsize bees which are usually dark-colored and often metallic in appearance...
("sweat beeSweat beeSweat bee is the common name for any bees that are attracted to the salt in human sweat. In its strict application, the name refers to members of the Halictidae, a large family of bees that are common in most of the world except Australia and Southeast Asia, where they are only a minor faunistic...
s") - Family MegachilidaeMegachilidaeThe Megachilidae are a cosmopolitan family of solitary bees whose pollen-carrying structure is restricted to the ventral surface of the abdomen...
(leaf-cutting bees) - Family MeganomiidaeMeganomiidaeThe family Meganomiidae is a very small bee family, with 10 species in 4 genera, found primarily in Africa, primarily in xeric habitats, with the distributional limits in Yemen and Madagascar...
- Family MelittidaeMelittidaeThe family Melittidae is a small bee family, with some 60 species in 4 genera, restricted to Africa and the northern temperate zone. Historically, the family has included the Dasypodaidae and Meganomiidae as subfamilies, but recent molecular studies indicate that Melittidae was paraphyletic, so...
- Family StenotritidaeStenotritidaeThe family Stenotritidae is the smallest of all formally-recognized bee families, with only 21 species in 2 genera, all of them restricted to Australia. Historically, they were generally considered to belong in the family Colletidae, but it is presently considered that the stenotritids are their...
- Family AmpulicidaeAmpulicidaeThe Ampulicidae, or Cockroach wasps, is a small , primarily tropical group of sphecoid wasps, all of which use various cockroaches as prey items for their larvae. They tend to have elongated jaws, a pronounced neck-like constriction behind the head, a strongly petiolate abdomen, and deep grooves on...
(cockroach wasps) - Family CrabronidaeCrabronidaeCrabronidae is a large family of wasps, that includes nearly all of the species formerly comprising the now-defunct superfamily Sphecoidea. It collectively includes well over 200 genera, containing well over 9000 species. Crabronids were originally a part of Sphecidae, but the latter name is now...
(sand wasps, bee wolves, etc.) - Family Heterogynaidae
- Family SphecidaeSphecidaeSphecidae is a cosmopolitan family of wasps that include digger wasps, mud daubers and other familiar types that all fall under the category of thread-waisted wasps.The are predominently solitary wasp,distributed world wide.At present this family consist of eight subfamilies and three tribes...
(digger waspDigger waspWasps of the genus Sphex are cosmopolitan predators of the family Sphecidae that sting and paralyze prey insects. There are over 130 known digger wasp species. In preparation for egg laying, they construct a protected "nest" and then stock it with captured insects...
s)
- Family Andrenidae
- Superfamily ChrysidoideaChrysidoideaThe superfamily Chrysidoidea is a very large cosmopolitan group of parasitoid or cleptoparasitic wasps, with three large, common families and four tiny, rare families. Most species are small , almost never exceeding 15 mm...
- Family Bethylidae
- Family Chrysididae (cuckoo waspCuckoo waspCommonly known as cuckoo wasps, the Hymenopteran family Chrysididae is a very large cosmopolitan group of parasitoid or cleptoparasitic wasps, often highly sculptured, with brilliantly colored metallic-like bodies...
s) - Family DryinidaeDryinidaeDryinidae is a family of hymenopteran insects with about 1,400 described species found worldwide. These are solitary wasps whose larvae are parasitoids on other insects. The only known hosts are Hemiptera, especially leafhoppers....
- Family Embolemidae
- Family Plumariidae
- Family Sclerogibbidae
- Family Scolebythidae
- Superfamily VespoideaVespoideaVespoidea is a superfamily of order Hymenoptera of class Insecta, although older taxonomic schemes may vary in this categorization, particularly in their recognition of a now-obsolete superfamily Scolioidea...
- Family BradynobaenidaeBradynobaenidaeBradynobaenidae is a family of wasps similar to the Mutillidae. These species are often found in arid regions.- Genera found in Europe :* Apterogyna Latreille, 1809* Gynecaptera Skorikov, 1935- Other genera :* Bradynobaenus Spinola, 1851...
- Family FormicidaeAntAnts are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
(antAntAnts are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s) - Family MutillidaeMutillidaeMutillidae are a family of more than 3,000 species of wasp whose wingless females resemble ants. Their common name velvet ant refers to their dense pile of hair which most often is bright scarlet or orange but may also be black, white, silver, or gold. Their bright colours serve as aposematic signals...
(velvet ants) - Family Pompilidae (spider waspSpider waspWasps in the family Pompilidae are commonly called spider wasps . The family is cosmopolitan, with some 5,000 species in 6 subfamilies...
s) - Family RhopalosomatidaeRhopalosomatidaeRhopalosomatidae is a family of Hymenoptera. It contains about 68 extant species in four genera that are found worldwide. Three fossil genera are known....
- Family SapygidaeSapygidaeThe Sapygidae are a family of solitary aculeate wasps. There does not seem to be a common English name, but Club-horned wasps seems as good a name as any, though various other groups of wasps also have clubbed or thickened antennae...
- Family ScoliidaeScoliidaeScoliidae, the scoliid wasps, is a small family represented by 6 genera and about 20 species in North America, but they occur worldwide, with a total of around 300 species. They tend to be black, often marked with yellow or orange, and their wing tips are distinctively corrugated...
- Family SierolomorphidaeSierolomorphidaeThe Sierolomorphidae are a family of about 10 known species of wasps found in Tropical America and Asia. They are rare and very little is known of their biology....
- Family TiphiidaeTiphiidaeTiphiidae is a family of large solitary wasps whose larvae are almost universally parasitoids of various beetle larvae, especially those in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea....
- Family Vespidae (paper waspPaper waspPaper wasps are -long wasps that gather fibers from dead wood and plant stems, which they mix with saliva, and use to construct water-resistant nests made of gray or brown papery material...
s, potter waspPotter waspPotter wasps are a cosmopolitan wasp group presently treated as a subfamily of Vespidae, but sometimes recognized in the past as a separate family, Eumenidae.-Recognition:...
s, hornetHornetHornets are the largest eusocial wasps; some species can reach up to in length. The true hornets make up the genus Vespa and are distinguished from other vespines by the width of the vertex , which is proportionally larger in Vespa and by the anteriorly rounded gasters .- Life cycle :In...
s, pollen waspPollen waspPollen wasps are unusual wasps that are typically treated as a subfamily of Vespidae, but have in the past sometimes been recognized as a separate family, "Masaridae", which also included the subfamily Euparagiinae. It is a small subfamily, unique among wasps in feeding their larvae exclusively...
s, yellowjacketYellowjacketYellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory wasps of the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries...
s)
- Family Bradynobaenidae
- Superfamily Apoidea
- (unranked) Parasitica
- Superfamily CeraphronoideaCeraphronoideaCeraphronoidea is a small Hymenopteran superfamily that includes only two families, and a total of some 800 species, though a great many species are still undescribed...
- Family CeraphronidaeCeraphronidaeCeraphronidae is a small Hymenopteran family with 14 genera and some 360 known species, though a great many species are still undescribed. It is a poorly known group as a whole, though most are believed to be parasitoids , and a few hyperparasitoids...
- Family MegaspilidaeMegaspilidaeMegaspilidae is a small Hymenopteran family with 12 genera in two subfamilies, and some 450 known species, with a great many species still undescribed. It is a poorly known group as a whole, though most are believed to be parasitoids , and a few hyperparasitoids...
- Family Ceraphronidae
- Superfamily Chalcidoidea
- Family Agaonidae (fig waspFig waspFig wasps are wasps of the family Agaonidae which pollinate figs or are otherwise associated with figs, a coevolutional relationship that has been developing for at least 80 million years...
s) - Family AphelinidaeAphelinidaeAphelinidae is a moderate-sized family of tiny parasitic wasps, with some 1160 described species in some 35 genera. These minute insects are challenging to study as they deteriorate rapidly after death unless extreme care is taken , making identification of most museum specimens difficult...
- Family ChalcididaeChalcididaeThe Chalcididae are a moderate-sized family within the Chalcidoidea, composed mostly of parasitoids and a few hyperparasitoids. The family is apparently polyphyletic, though the different subfamilies may each be monophyletic, and some may be elevated to family status in the near future. As...
(chalcid waspChalcid waspChalcid wasps belong to the insect order Hymenoptera, and are one of the largest groups within the order, with some 22,000 known species, and an estimated total diversity of anywhere from 60,000 to more than 500,000 species, meaning the vast majority have yet to be discovered and described.Most of...
s) - Family EncyrtidaeEncyrtidaeEncyrtidae is a large family of parasitic wasps, with some 3710 described species in some 455 genera . The larvae of the majority are primary parasitoids on Hemiptera, though other hosts are attacked, and details of the life history can be variable Encyrtidae is a large family of parasitic wasps,...
- Family EucharitidaeEucharitidaeEucharitidae is a family of parasitic wasps known as Eucharitid wasps. Eucharitid wasps are members of the superfamily Chalcidoidea and consist of three subfamilies: Oraseminae, Eucharitinae, and Gollumiellinae. There are 53 genus and 473 species of Eucharitidae; most of which are members of the...
- Family EulophidaeEulophidaeEulophidae is a large family of hymenopteran insects, with over 4,300 described species in some 300 genera . The family as presently defined also includes the genus Elasmus, which was previously treated as a separate family, "Elasmidae", and is now treated as a subfamily of Eulophidae...
- Family EupelmidaeEupelmidaeEupelmidae is a family of parasitic wasps in the superfamily Chalcidoidea. The group is apparently polyphyletic, though the different subfamilies may each be monophyletic, and may be elevated to family status in the near future. As presently defined, there are over 905 described species in 45 genera...
- Family EurytomidaeEurytomidaeEurytomidae is a family within the superfamily Chalcidoidea. The group is apparently polyphyletic, though the different subfamilies may each be monophyletic, and may be elevated to family status in the near future...
(seed chalcids) - Family LeucospidaeLeucospidaeThe Leucospidae are a small, specialized group within the Chalcidoidea, composed exclusively of ectoparasitoids of aculeate wasps or bees. They are typically mimics of bees or stinging wasps, often black with yellow, red, or white markings, sometimes metallic, with a robust mesosoma and very...
- Family Mymaridae (fairyfliesFairyflyMymaridae, commonly known as fairyflies or fairy wasps, is a family of chalcid wasps found in temperate and tropical regions throughout the world. It contains around 100 genera and 1424 species. All of them are parasitoids of the eggs of other insects...
) - the smallest of all insects - Family OrmyridaeOrmyridaeOrmyridae is a small family of parasitic wasps in the superfamily Chalcidoidea. They are either parasitoids or hyperparasitoids on gall-forming insects, primarily cynipid wasps and tephritid flies...
- Family PerilampidaePerilampidaeThe Perilampidae are a small family within the Chalcidoidea, composed mostly of hyperparasitoids. The family is closely related to the Eucharitidae, and the eucharitids appear to have evolved from within the Perilampidae, thus rendering the family paraphyletic...
- Family PteromalidaePteromalidaePteromalidae is a very large family of parasitic wasps, with some 3,450 described species in some 640 genera...
- Family RotoitidaeRotoitidaeRotoitidae is a very small family of rare, relictual parasitic wasps in the superfamily Chalcidoidea. There are only two species known, each in their own genus, one from New Zealand and one from Chile. They are the most recently-discovered family of chalcidoids , and nothing is known about their...
- Family SigniphoridaeSigniphoridaeSigniphoridae is a small family of parasitic wasps in the superfamily Chalcidoidea. There are approximately 80 species in 4 genera.-Diagnosis:...
- Family TanaostigmatidaeTanaostigmatidaeTanaostigmatidae is a small family of parasitic wasps in the superfamily Chalcidoidea. They are almost exclusively phytophagous insects, forming galls in plant stems, leaves, or seeds...
- Family TetracampidaeTetracampidaeTetracampidae is a small family of parasitic wasps in the superfamily Chalcidoidea. They are parasitoids of phytophagous insects, primarily flies. There are 44 species in 15 genera, and they are almost entirely absent from the New World....
- Family TorymidaeTorymidaeTorymidae is a family of wasps that consists of attractive metallic species with enlarged hind legs, and generally with a long ovipositor. Many are parasitoids on gall-forming insects, and some are phytophagous species, sometimes usurping the galls formed by other insects. There are over 960...
- Family TrichogrammatidaeTrichogrammatidaeThe family Trichogrammatidae are tiny wasps in the Chalcidoidea that include some of the smallest of all insects, with most species having adults less than 1 mm in length. There are over 840 species in ca. 80 genera worldwide. Trichogrammatids parasitize the eggs of many different orders of insects...
- Family Agaonidae (fig wasp
- Superfamily CynipoideaCynipoideaCynipoidea is a moderate-sized Hymenopteran superfamily that presently includes five modern families and three extinct families, though others have been recognized in the past. The most familiar members of the group are phytophagous, especially as gall-formers, though the actual majority of...
- Family Austrocynipidae
- Family Cynipidae (gall waspGall waspGall wasps , also called Gallflies, are a family of the order Hymenoptera and are classified with the Apocrita suborder of wasps in the superfamily Cynipoidea...
s) - Family FigitidaeFigitidaeFigitidae is a family of tiny wasps with a worldwide distribution. There are currently about 1400 described species in 126 genera although many taxa undoubtedly await discovery. In contrast to most cynipoids, which are gall-inducing phytophages, these insects are parasitoids, the larvae feeding...
- Family Ibaliidae
- Family Liopteridae
- Superfamily EvanioideaEvanioideaEvanioidea is a small Hymenopteran superfamily that includes three families, two of which are much more closely related to one another than they are to the remaining family, Evaniidae. There is a rich fossil record, however, that helps fill in the gaps between these lineages...
- Family AulacidaeAulacidaeThe family Aulacidae is a small cosmopolitan group, with 3 extant genera containing some 200 known species. They are primarily endoparasitoids of wood wasps and xylophagous beetles...
- Family EvaniidaeEvaniidaeEvaniidae, also known as the ensign wasps or hatchet wasps, is a family of parasitic wasps. It numbers around 20 extant genera containing over 400 described species, and is found all over the world except in the polar regions...
(ensign wasps) - Family GasteruptiidaeGasteruptiidaeThe family Gasteruptiidae is one of the more distinctive among the Apocritan wasps, with surprisingly little variation in appearance for a group that contains around 500 species in 9 genera worldwide. The propleura form an elongated "neck", the petiole attaches very high on the propodeum, and the...
- Family Aulacidae
- Superfamily Ichneumonoidea
- Family BraconidaeBraconidaeBraconidae is a family of parasitoid wasps and one of the richest families of insects. Between 50,000 and 150,000 species exist worldwide. The species are grouped into about 45 subfamilies and 1,000 genera, some important ones being: Ademon, Aphanta, Asobara, Bracon hebetor, Cenocoelius, Chaenusa,...
- Family IchneumonidaeIchneumonidaeIchneumonidae is a family within the insect order Hymenoptera. Insects in this family are commonly called ichneumon wasps. Less exact terms are ichneumon flies , or scorpion wasps due to the extreme lengthening and curving of the abdomen...
(ichneumon waspIchneumon waspThe Ichneumonoidea are insects classified in the hymenopteran suborder Apocrita. The superfamily is made up of the ichneumon wasps and the braconids...
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- Family Braconidae
- Superfamily Megalyroidea
- Family MegalyridaeMegalyridaeMegalyroidea is a small Hymenopteran superfamily that includes a single family, Megalyridae, with 8 genera and at least 45 extant species. Modern megalyrids are found mostly in areas of relict primary tropical forests, and there are very few New World representatives. The most abundant and...
- Family Megalyridae
- Superfamily Mymarommatoidea - sometimes called Serphitoidea
- Family MymarommatidaeMymarommatidaeMymarommatidae is a very small family of microscopic hymenopteran insects. Only 10 living species in 1 genus have currently been described but they are known from all parts of the world...
- Family Mymarommatidae
- Superfamily PlatygastroideaPlatygastroideaThe Hymenopteran superfamily Platygastroidea has, in the past, often been treated as a lineage within the superfamily Proctotrupoidea, but most classifications since 1977 have recognized it as an independent group, composed of two families, the Platygastridae and the Scelionidae, with a combined...
- Family PlatygastridaePlatygastridaeThe Hymenopteran family Platygastridae is a large group of exclusively parasitoid wasps, mostly very small , black, and shining, with elbowed antennae that have an 8-segmented flagellum...
- Family ScelionidaeScelionidaeThe Hymenopteran family Scelionidae is a very large cosmopolitan group of exclusively parasitoid wasps, mostly small , often black, often highly sculptured, with elbowed antennae that have an 9- or 10-segmented flagellum...
- Family Platygastridae
- Superfamily ProctotrupoideaProctotrupoideaThe Hymenopteran superfamily Proctotrupoidea is a somewhat confusing assemblage of taxa, with new families being added with surprising frequency, and very little to unify them all into a single natural group...
- Family Austroniidae
- Family DiapriidaeDiapriidaeDiapriidae is a family of insects belonging to the order Hymenoptera. These tiny wasps are typically parasitoids on the larvae and pupae of a wide range of insects, especially flies; a few are hyperparasitoids...
- Family Heloridae
- Family Maamingidae
- Family Monomachidae
- Family Pelecinidae
- Family Peradeniidae
- Family Proctorenyxidae
- Family Proctotrupidae
- Family Roproniidae
- Family Vanhorniidae
- Superfamily Stephanoidea
- Family StephanidaeStephanidaeStephanoidea is a small Hymenopteran superfamily that includes a single extant family, Stephanidae with 9 genera and almost 300 species, primarily tropical and subtropical in distribution...
- Family Stephanidae
- Superfamily Trigonaloidea
- Family TrigonalidaeTrigonalidaeTrigonalidae is one of the more unusual families of hymenopteran insects, of indeterminate affinity within the suborder Apocrita , and presently placed in its own superfamily, Trigonaloidea...
- Family Trigonalidae
- Superfamily Ceraphronoidea
- (unranked) Aculeata
External links
- Suborder Apocrita - Ants, Bees and Wasps - BugGuide.Net — images and other information
- Balades Entomologiques — "entomological walks" with images