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Species
Hymenoptera
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
Order Hymenoptera is one of the largest insect orders and contains sawflies, bees, wasps, parasitic wasps, and ants. They can be found throughout the world. They have compound eyes, antennae, and usually include three ocelli (simple eyes). Eusociality can be seen in many species, especially bees. The bees have a ‘caste’ system of varying levels, with worker bees that defend and gather food for the colony. Bees help pollinate crops and many other Hymenoptera species feed on insect pests. The eusocial species are sexually dimorphic and exhibit polymorphism. They undergo complete metamorphosis (holometabolism). The grub-like larvae typically feed on leaves. Some species have two pairs of membranous wings and mandibles for chewing. The hind wings have small hooks called hamuli that connect to the front wings. Hymenoptera can be seen in the fossil record as far back as the Triassic.
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Rights holder/Author | Rhianna Hruska, Rhianna Hruska |
Source | No source database. |
Wasps are important predators of other insects. Some species are valuable pollinators, and their relatives the bees are the most important pollinators of all.
Ecosystem Impact: pollinates
Species Used as Host:
- Butterflies
- Moths
- Other Wasps
- Bees
- Spiders
- Beetles
- Insect Eggs
- Flies
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Hymenoptera/ |
In general this group of organisms has much more positive effects than negative. They are important enemies of many insect pests, helping protect our crops. They are also important pollinators, allowing our flowers and vegetables to grow and reproduce.
Positive Impacts: pollinates crops; controls pest population
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Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Hymenoptera/ |
Wasps are best known for their ability to give a painful sting, and lots of species do use their stingers to defend themselves and their nests. They also build their nests in places that are hard for predators to reach (either up high or underground) and many build nests out of hard mud to keep their larvae safe. Some wasps that attack other bees or wasps have especially hard exoskeletons for armor.
Known Predators:
- Aves
- Ursidae
- Procyon lotor
- Talpidae
- Soricidae
- Squamata
- Anura
- Anura
- other Hymenoptera
- other Formicidae
- mantids
- Heteroptera
- Araneae
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Hymenoptera/ |
From something as small and complex as a chromosome to something as seemingly simple as the weather, sex determination systems vary significantly across the animal kingdom. Biologist and teacher Aaron Reedy shows us the amazing differences between species when it comes to determination of gender.
Watch the Sex Determination: More Complicated Than You Thought video
This video created by Aaron Reedy and Buzzco Associates and is available through the TED-Ed website.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | eoleducation, eoleducation |
Source | http://ed.ted.com/lessons/sex-determination-more-complicated-than-you-thought |
Animal / parasitoid
solitary (usually) stroma of Cordyceps sphecocephala is parasitoid of Hymenoptera
In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Fungus / feeder
Hymenoptera feeds on spore mass of fruitbody of Phallus hadriani
Plant / pollenated
adult of Hymenoptera pollenates or fertilises flower of Coeloglossum viride
Animal / predator
leaf of Pinguicula vulgaris is predator of adult of Hymenoptera
Other: major host/prey
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | BioImages, BioImages - the Virtual Fieldguide (UK) |
Source | http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/Hymenoptera.htm |
Hymenoptera is prey of:
Lagopus
Plectrophenax nivalis
Calidris maritima
Colaptes auratus
Araneae
Hylocichla mustelina
Baeolophus bicolor
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Phrynosoma
Cyanocitta stelleri
Leucosticte atrata
Anthus spinoletta
Eremophila alpestris
Hymenoptera
Cicindelidae
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
Rodentia
Phasianidae
Timaliidae
Pavo
Serpentes
Varanidae
Canis aureus
Erinaceus europaeus
bultul
Laniidae
Saxicoloides fulicata
Vulpes vulpes
Calcarius mccownii
Spermophilus
Calamospiza melanocorys
Asilidae
Orthoptera
Salvelinus fontinalis
Herpestes auropunctatus
Eleutherodactylus coqui
Eleutherodactylus richmondi
Eleutherodactylus portoricensis
Eleutherodactylus wightmanae
Eleutherodactylus eneidae
Todus mexicanus
Mimocichla plumbea
Margarops fuscatus
Anolis cuvieri
Anolis evermanni
Anolis stratulus
Anolis gundlachi
Leptodactylus albilabris
Myiarchus antillarum
Vireo latimeri
Nesospingus speculiferus
Icterus dominicensis
Vireo altiloquus
Seiurus aurocapillus
Bufo marinus
Chlorostilbon maugeus
Anthracothorax viridis
Mniotilta varia
Parula americana
Dendroica caerulescens
Dendroica discolor
Setophaga ruticilla
Diptera
Geotrygon montana
Margarops fuscus
Tyrannus dominicensis
Dendroica petechia
Trochilidae
Coereba flaveola
Anolis gingivinus
Anolis pogus
Hemiptera
Based on studies in:
Norway: Spitsbergen (Coastal)
Canada: Manitoba (Forest)
Russia (Agricultural)
India, Rajasthan Desert (Desert or dune)
Puerto Rico, El Verde (Rainforest)
USA: Illinois (Forest)
USA: Arizona (Forest, Montane)
USA: Montana (Tundra)
USA: California, Cabrillo Point (Grassland)
USA: Colorado (River)
Canada: Ontario, Mad River (River)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
- N. N. Smirnov, Food cycles in sphagnous bogs, Hydrobiologia 17:175-182, from p. 179 (1961).
- A. C. Twomey, The bird population of an elm-maple forest with special reference to aspection, territorialism, and coactions, Ecol. Monogr. 15(2):175-205, from p. 202 (1945).
- D. I. Rasmussen, Biotic communities of Kaibab Plateau, Arizona, Ecol. Monogr. 11(3):228-275, from p. 261 (1941).
- W. E. Ricker, 1934. An ecological classification of certain Ontario streams. Univ. Toronto Studies, Biol. Serv. 37, Publ. Ontario Fish. Res. Lab. 49:7-114, from pp. 78, 89.
- V. S. Summerhayes and C. S. Elton, Contributions to the ecology of Spitsbergen and Bear Island, J. Ecol. 11:214-286, from p. 232 (1923).
- R. D. Bird, Biotic communities of the Aspen Parkland of central Canada, Ecology, 11:356-442, from p. 410 (1930).
- L. D. Harris and L. Paur, A quantitative food web analysis of a shortgrass community, Technical Report No. 154, Grassland Biome. U.S. International Biological Program (1972), from p. 17.
- D. L. Pattie and N. A. M. Verbeek, Alpine birds of the Beartooth Mountains, Condor 68:167-176 (1966); Alpine mammals of the Beartooth Mountains, Northwest Sci. 41(3):110-117 (1967).
- I. K. Sharma, A study of ecosystems of the Indian desert, Trans. Indian Soc. Desert Technol. and Univ. Center Desert Stud. 5(2):51-55, from p. 52 and A study of agro-ecosystems in the Indian desert, ibid. 5:77-82, from p. 79 1980).
- J. D. Allan, 1982. The effects of reduction in trout density on the invertebrate community of a mountain stream. Ecology 63:1444-1455, from p. 1452.
- Waide RB, Reagan WB (eds) (1996) The food web of a tropical rainforest. University of Chicago Press, Chicago
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Cynthia Sims Parr, Joel Sachs, SPIRE |
Source | http://spire.umbc.edu/fwc/ |
Hymenoptera preys on:
dead plants
flowers
Coccoidea
Lepidoptera
Acari
Amphipoda
fungi
Nematocera imagines
leaves
detritus
Aphididae
Cicadellidae
Coleoptera
alpine vegetation
Eleucine
Cyperus
Cenchrus
Isoptera
Hymenoptera
Auchenorrhyncha
Artemisia frigida
Bouteloua gracilis
Sphaeralcea coccinea
Psoralidium tenuiflorum
Heterotheca canescens
Gutierrezia
Ratibida columnifera
Helianthus annuus
Cleome serrulata
Atriplex canescens
Picradeniopsis oppositifolia
Opuntia macrorhiza
Senecio vulgaris
Yucca glauca
black alate aphid
Platypena scabra
Acrosternum hilare
Hemiptera
Diptera
Phasmatidae
sap
pollen
nectar
seeds
Sternorrhyncha
nectar and floral
Vanessa cardui
Misumena vatia
Based on studies in:
Norway: Spitsbergen (Coastal)
USA: Illinois (Forest)
USA: Arizona (Forest, Montane)
USA: California, Cabrillo Point (Grassland)
New Zealand (Grassland)
Puerto Rico, El Verde (Rainforest)
Russia (Agricultural)
USA: Montana (Tundra)
India, Rajasthan Desert (Desert or dune)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
- N. N. Smirnov, Food cycles in sphagnous bogs, Hydrobiologia 17:175-182, from p. 179 (1961).
- A. C. Twomey, The bird population of an elm-maple forest with special reference to aspection, territorialism, and coactions, Ecol. Monogr. 15(2):175-205, from p. 202 (1945).
- D. I. Rasmussen, Biotic communities of Kaibab Plateau, Arizona, Ecol. Monogr. 11(3):228-275, from p. 261 (1941).
- K. Paviour-Smith, The biotic community of a salt meadow in New Zealand, Trans. R. Soc. N.Z. 83(3):525-554, from p. 542 (1956).
- V. S. Summerhayes and C. S. Elton, Contributions to the ecology of Spitsbergen and Bear Island, J. Ecol. 11:214-286, from p. 232 (1923).
- L. D. Harris and L. Paur, A quantitative food web analysis of a shortgrass community, Technical Report No. 154, Grassland Biome. U.S. International Biological Program (1972), from p. 17.
- D. L. Pattie and N. A. M. Verbeek, Alpine birds of the Beartooth Mountains, Condor 68:167-176 (1966); Alpine mammals of the Beartooth Mountains, Northwest Sci. 41(3):110-117 (1967).
- I. K. Sharma, A study of ecosystems of the Indian desert, Trans. Indian Soc. Desert Technol. and Univ. Center Desert Stud. 5(2):51-55, from p. 52 and A study of agro-ecosystems in the Indian desert, ibid. 5:77-82, from p. 79 1980).
- M. A. Mayse and P. W. Price, 1978. Seasonal development of soybean arthropod communities in east central Illinois. Agro-Ecosys. 4:387-405, from p. 402.
- Waide RB, Reagan WB (eds) (1996) The food web of a tropical rainforest. University of Chicago Press, Chicago
- Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed February 16, 2011 at http://animaldiversity.org. http://www.animaldiversity.org
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Rights holder/Author | Cynthia Sims Parr, Joel Sachs, SPIRE |
Source | http://spire.umbc.edu/fwc/ |
These insects depend on chemical communication (taste/smell), but they also use other means. Males and females find each other with scent chemicals called pheromones, and ants and social wasps and bees use chemicals to identify nestmates and send warnings and other information. Parasitic wasps sometimes leave scent marks on the host insects to tell any other parasitic wasps that they've already laid eggs there. Some ants can also make noises and vibrations to communicate. Of the three groups, wasps are the most visual. They often hunt by sight.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Hymenoptera/ |
Wasps and their relatives all have complete metamorphosis. From the egg a larva hatches out. It looks a lot like a short fat white worm, but has a distinct head, and may have six small jointed legs. The larva grows and molts (sheds its whole skin) several times before transforming into a pupa. This resting stage has some of the body parts of an adult, but it can't move or feed. Inside, it is transforming into an adult. Eventually an adult emerges from its pupal skin.
Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Hymenoptera/ |