Ants, Bees & Wasps
Order Hymenoptera
642 speciesOne of the most ecologically important orders, including key pollinators and social insects. Many species exhibit complex social behavior and colony organization.
Species in this Order
Abbott's Pine Sawfly
Neodiprion abbotii
A pine sawfly whose distinctively marked larvae have black heads and grayish-green bodies with dark ...
Acacia Ant
Pseudomyrmex ferruginea
A slender orange-brown ant that lives inside the swollen thorns of bullhorn acacia trees in a classi...
Acrobat Ant
Crematogaster scutellaris
A Mediterranean ant with a heart-shaped abdomen it raises over its thorax when alarmed. They nest in...
African Acacia Ant
Pseudomyrmex sp. (African mimic: Tetraponera penzigi)
A slender ant inhabiting the swollen galls of whistling thorn acacias in East Africa. Multiple ant s...
African Bulldog Ant
Myrmecia regularis
A large aggressive ant with excellent vision and powerful mandibles. It can leap and deliver a painf...
African Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa caffra
A large robust bee with a shiny black body and yellowish thoracic hair in males. It excavates nestin...
African Driver Ant
Dorylus wilverthi
A notorious army ant species that forms massive raiding columns through the forest floor. Colonies c...
African Fig Wasp
Ceratosolen capensis
A tiny wasp with an obligate mutualistic relationship with African fig trees. Females enter figs thr...
African Giant Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa flavorufa
One of Africa's largest bees, with females covered in tawny-orange fur and males in yellowish hair. ...
African Honey Bee
Apis mellifera scutellata
The African subspecies of the western honey bee, known for its defensive behavior and high productiv...
African Mud Dauber
Sceliphron spirifex
A slender black and yellow wasp with an extremely narrow petiole waist. It constructs mud nests on w...
African Paper Wasp
Belonogaster juncea
A slender reddish-brown social wasp that builds small open paper nests under eaves and branches. It ...
African Sand Wasp
Bembix capensis
A fast-flying sand wasp with black and yellow banding that nests in sandy ground. Females provision ...
African Scoliid Wasp
Megascolia vittata
A very large black and yellow-banded scoliid wasp from sub-Saharan Africa. It parasitizes goliath be...
African Spider Wasp
Hemipepsis capensis
A very large blue-black wasp with bright orange wings that hunts baboon spiders. It is one of Africa...
African Stingless Bee
Meliponula bocandei
A small dark stingless bee that nests in tree hollows and produces a prized thin honey. Colonies can...
African Stink Ant
Paltothyreus tarsatus
A very large black ponerine ant that releases a foul-smelling secretion when disturbed. It is one of...
African Velvet Ant
Dasylabris maura
A large black and white velvet ant found across North Africa and the Mediterranean. Females are dens...
African Weaver Ant
Oecophylla longinoda
An arboreal ant that constructs leaf nests by weaving living leaves together using larval silk. Colo...
Alder Cimbicid Sawfly
Cimbex americanus
The largest sawfly in North America, with a robust body up to 25 mm long, clubbed antennae, and smok...
Alfalfa Caterpillar Parasite
Cotesia medicaginis
A small braconid wasp that parasitizes alfalfa butterfly caterpillars in agricultural fields. Larvae...
Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee
Megachile rotundata
A small solitary bee that cuts precise circular pieces from leaves to construct nest cells. It is th...
Alfalfa Weevil Parasitoid
Bathyplectes curculionis
A small parasitoid wasp that attacks alfalfa weevil larvae in North America. It was introduced from ...
Alpine Bumblebee
Bombus alpinus
A large bumblebee with distinctive orange-red tail and dark body covered in dense fur. It is found a...
Amazon Ant
Polyergus breviceps
A slave-making ant that raids colonies of Formica ants to steal pupae, which then emerge as workers ...
Amazon Giant Centipede-Eating Ant
Dinoponera quadriceps
A very large ponerine ant endemic to northeastern Brazil, reaching up to 30 mm. Colonies are queenle...
Amazonian Fungus-Growing Ant
Atta laevigata
One of the largest leaf-cutter ant species with smooth, shiny-headed major workers. Its subterranean...
Amazonian Giant Ant
Pachycondyla villosa
A large, hairy black ponerine ant with a powerful sting and strong mandibles. It is a solitary groun...
Amblyoponine Ant
Amblyopone australis
A primitive-looking subterranean ant from Australia with small eyes and pale coloring. It hunts chil...
American Bumble Bee
Bombus pensylvanicus
A large bumble bee with a yellow thorax, black band between the wings, and a mostly yellow abdomen. ...
American Cuckoo Wasp
Chrysis angolensis
A metallic green and blue cuckoo wasp found across sub-Saharan Africa. It parasitizes mud-nesting wa...
American Slave-Maker Ant
Polyergus lucidus
A North American slave-making ant that conducts well-organized raids on Formica colonies. New queens...
American Xyelid Sawfly
Xyela bakeri
A minute primitive sawfly native to western North America with the family's characteristic elongated...
Anthricinan Yellow-Faced Bee
Hylaeus anthracinus
One of seven Hawaiian yellow-faced bees federally listed as endangered. These small native bees are ...
Apache Paper Wasp
Polistes apachus
A large paper wasp of the American Southwest with yellow and reddish-brown coloring. It constructs o...
Aphid Mummy Wasp
Aphidius ervi
A tiny parasitoid wasp widely used in biological control of pea aphids and other large aphid species...
Aphidius Wasp
Aphidius colemani
A minute parasitoid wasp widely used in greenhouses to control aphid pests. A single female can para...
Aphytis Wasp
Aphytis melinus
A tiny golden-yellow parasitoid wasp that is the primary biocontrol agent of California red scale on...
Apple Sawfly
Hoplocampa testudinea
A small brown-and-yellow sawfly that is a significant pest of apple orchards. Larvae bore into devel...
Arctic Ant
Leptothorax acervorum
A tiny, reddish-brown ant that forms small colonies under stones and in wood crevices in boreal and ...
Arctic Bumblebee
Bombus polaris
A large, densely furred bumblebee with yellow and black banding adapted to extreme cold. Its thick p...
Arctic Parasitic Wasp
Hyposoter horticola
A slender parasitic wasp with a black body, orange legs, and long antennae. Females search for cater...
Arctic Sawfly
Amauronematus abnormis
A small, dark sawfly associated with willows in Arctic and subarctic regions. Females use their saw-...
Argentine Ant
Linepithema humile
Forms massive supercolonies spanning thousands of kilometers. One supercolony stretches 6,000 km alo...
Army Ant
Eciton burchellii
Nomadic ants that do not build permanent nests. Raids of up to 200,000 workers sweep through the for...
Ash Whitefly Parasitoid
Encarsia inaron
A minute parasitoid wasp that attacks whitefly nymphs on ash trees and other hosts. It was introduce...
Ashy Mining Bee
Andrena cineraria
A striking black and grey solitary bee with silvery-white hair bands on its thorax. It nests in comp...
Asian Army Ant
Aenictus laeviceps
A small, pale yellow army ant widespread across tropical Asia. Colonies raid nests of other ants and...
Asian Giant Hornet
Vespa mandarinia
The worlds largest hornet. A single colony can kill an entire hive of 30,000 honey bees in just a fe...
Asian Horntail
Urocerus antennatus
A large wood wasp from East Asia with a dark body and distinctively long antennae. It attacks variou...
Asian Marauder Army Ant
Dorylus laevigatus
A subterranean army ant of Southeast Asian forests that raids termite nests through underground tunn...
Asian Mud Dauber
Sceliphron curvatum
A dark-bodied mud dauber originally from Central Asia now invasive across Europe. It builds mud nest...
Asian Needle Ant
Brachyponera chinensis
An invasive East Asian ant spreading through the southeastern US. Its sting causes anaphylaxis more ...
Asian Proceratium
Proceratium japonicum
A small cryptic ant found in Japanese and East Asian forests with the characteristic forward-curving...
Asian Trap-jaw Ant
Odontomachus rixosus
A Southeast Asian trap-jaw ant found in forest leaf litter with distinctive elongated mandibles. It ...
Asian Velvet Ant
Smicromyrme rufipes
A small to medium velvet ant with reddish legs and black body found across southern Asia. It parasit...
Australian Army Ant
Leptogenys falcigera
An Australian ponerine ant that exhibits army ant-like group raiding behavior despite belonging to a...
Australian Bull Ant
Myrmecia pyriformis
A large aggressive ant with excellent vision and a powerful venomous sting, capable of jumping towar...
Australian Flower Wasp
Campsomeris tasmaniensis
A hairy black and orange scoliid wasp endemic to Australia. Males patrol flowers while females dig i...
Australian Large-headed Bee
Stenotritus greavesi
A robust, fast-flying bee endemic to Australia with a disproportionately large head and powerful man...
Australian Paper Wasp
Polistes humilis
A common Australian paper wasp that builds small, open-celled papery nests under eaves, in shrubs, a...
Australian Satin Sawfly
Perga lewisi
A large Australian sawfly with a satiny dark blue-black body. Larvae are robust and feed in clusters...
Australian Stink Ant
Iridomyrmex bicknelli
A small, fast-moving ant that releases a strong, unpleasant odour when crushed, giving it its common...
Australian Velvet Ant
Ephutomorpha queenslandica
An Australian wingless wasp with orange and black velvety coloring. It parasitizes ground-nesting na...
Bald-faced Hornet
Dolichovespula maculata
A large black and white social wasp that builds impressive football-sized paper nests in trees and o...
Balsam Fir Sawfly
Neodiprion abietis
A boreal sawfly whose dark green larvae with lighter stripes feed on balsam fir needles. Periodic ou...
Banchine Wasp
Banchus falcatorius
A stout black-and-yellow ichneumon wasp that mimics social wasps in appearance. It is a solitary par...
Banded Chalcid Wasp
Chalcis sispes
A robust chalcid wasp with enlarged hind femora bearing tooth-like projections. It parasitizes the p...
Banded Ichneumon
Ichneumon xanthorius
A boldly patterned black-and-yellow parasitoid wasp commonly found in European gardens. It parasitiz...
Banded Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla occidentalis africana
A wingless wasp covered in dense orange and black velvety hair. Despite the name, it is actually a s...
Bean Aphid Parasite
Lysiphlebus fabarum
A minute braconid wasp that parasitizes black bean aphids and related species. Some populations repr...
Bicolored Pennant Ant
Tetraponera rufonigra
A large, slender arboreal ant with a painful sting found across tropical Asia. Workers are bicolored...
Bicolored Trailing Ant
Monacis bispinosa
A neotropical dolichoderine ant with two prominent spines on its thorax. It forms long foraging trai...
Birch Leaf-Roller Sawfly
Pamphilius betulae
A flat-bodied sawfly with long, thread-like antennae and a broad abdomen. Larvae roll birch leaves i...
Birch Leafminer
Fenusa pusilla
An invasive European sawfly that mines inside birch leaves in North America. Heavy infestations caus...
Birch Sawfly
Cimbex femoratus
One of the largest European sawflies, with a stout body, clubbed antennae, and variable coloring fro...
Black and Gold Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla nigripes
A medium-sized velvet ant with golden-orange hair on the thorax contrasting with its black legs and ...
Black Garden Ant
Lasius niger
The most common ant in Europe, dark brown to black with a slightly pubescent body. Colonies are mono...
Black Headed Birch Sawfly
Craesus alniastri
A medium-sized sawfly with a dark head and orange body. Larvae are greenish-blue with black heads an...
Black Horntail
Xeris spectrum
A slender black horntail wasp that breeds in dead conifer wood across the Northern Hemisphere. It is...
Black Ichneumon Wasp
Coelichneumon deliratorius
A large, entirely black ichneumon wasp with a robust build. It is a solitary parasitoid of large mot...
Black Imported Fire Ant
Solenopsis richteri
A dark-colored fire ant native to South America that has established populations in the southeastern...
Black Leafcutter Ant
Acromyrmex lobicornis
A cold-tolerant leafcutter ant that builds conspicuous mound nests from vegetation debris. Workers a...
Black Slip Wasp
Pimpla instigator
A medium-sized black ichneumon wasp that parasitizes butterfly and moth pupae. Uses its ovipositor t...
Black-Headed Ash Sawfly
Tethida barda
A small sawfly whose larvae have distinctive black heads and whitish-green bodies. They feed on the ...
Blackberry Leaf Miner
Metallus pumilus
A tiny, dark metallic sawfly whose larvae create blotch mines in blackberry and raspberry leaves. Mi...
Blood Bee
Sphecodes monilicornis
A cleptoparasitic bee with a bright red abdomen and black head that attacks the nests of furrow bees...
Blue Ant
Diamma bicolor
Despite its name, the Blue Ant is actually a wingless flower wasp, not an ant. Females are metallic ...
Blue Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa caerulea
A striking large bee with brilliant blue iridescent coloring. Nests in dead wood by boring tunnels. ...
Blue Cuckoo Wasp
Trichrysis cyanea
A uniformly deep blue metallic cuckoo wasp found across Europe and Asia. It parasitizes various cavi...
Blue Horntail
Sirex juvencus
A metallic blue-black horntail wasp found across the Northern Hemisphere. It breeds in recently dead...
Blue Mason Bee
Osmia caerulescens
A small, metallic blue-black solitary bee that nests in pre-existing cavities in wood and walls. It ...
Blue Morpho Caterpillar Parasite Wasp
Conura acuta
A metallic-colored parasitoid wasp that attacks the pupae of various Lepidoptera, including Morpho b...
Blue Mud Dauber
Chalybion californicum
A metallic blue wasp that preys on black widow spiders. It reuses mud nests built by other dauber sp...
Blue Orchard Bee
Osmia lignaria
A metallic dark blue solitary bee that nests in pre-existing holes in wood. It is an exceptionally e...
Blue-Banded Bee
Amegilla cingulata
A striking Australian native bee with iridescent turquoise bands on its abdomen. They are important ...
Blue-black Spider Wasp
Anoplius viaticus
A dark metallic blue spider wasp with orange-red abdominal bands. It hunts wolf spiders on sandy hea...
Blue-winged Scoliid Wasp
Scolia dubia
A black and reddish-brown wasp with iridescent blue wings commonly seen on flowers in late summer. I...
Blunthorn Bee
Melitta haemorrhoidalis
A late-summer specialist bee that collects pollen almost exclusively from bellflowers. It has a dist...
Bordered Rose Sawfly
Arge cyanocrocea
A compact sawfly with a striking combination of an orange body and metallic blue-black wings. Larvae...