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Four honey bee workers feeding on honey from a cell in the hive

Ants, bees and wasps

The ants, bees, wasps, horntails and sawflies are all in the order Hymenoptera. The group is very diverse with solitary and social species, herbivores and carnivores, and parasitic and non-parasitic lifestyles. All species hatch out as grubs, then later pupate into their adult shape. Females usually have a long, thin, egg-laying organ called an ovipositor. In some species this has developed into a sting.

Scientific name: Hymenoptera

Rank: Order

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Amber owes its existence to the defence mechanisms of certain kinds of tree. When the bark is punctured or infected, a sticky resin oozes out to seal the damage and sterilise the area.

About

The Hymenoptera are one of the largest orders of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees and ants. Over 130,000 species are recognized, with many more remaining to be described. The name refers to the wings of the insects, and is derived from the Ancient Greek ὑμήν (hymen): membrane and πτερόν (pteron): wing. The hind wings are connected to the fore wings by a series of hooks called hamuli.

Females typically have a special ovipositor for inserting eggs into hosts or otherwise inaccessible places. The ovipositor is often modified into a stinger. The young develop through complete metamorphosis — that is, they have a worm-like larval stage and an inactive pupal stage before they mature (See holometabolism).

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Classification

  1. Life
  2. Animals
  3. Arthropods
  4. Insects
  5. Ants, bees and wasps

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