Hymenoptera: what are, characteristics and examples

Hymenoptera are an order of animals belonging to the insect class and, in turn, to the arthropoda edge, better known as the arthropod invertebrates. Here you can read about what insects and their characteristics are.

They are hymenoptera bees, bumblebees, ants, wasps and relatedeach belonging to a different group. Hymenoptera’s taxonomy is complex by the large size of the groups it contains. However, we can approach the classification by the two suborders that exist:

• Apocritous sub -order: They have waist. Here the bees, wasps and ants are encompassed.
• SYMPHYTA SUBORDE: They have no waist. They are known as Sierra flies.

Under these suborders there are 20 superfamilias, 77 families, more than 2,500 genres and More than 24,000 species.

In these other articles you can learn about invertebrate animals: examples and characteristics and what are arthropods: characteristics, classification and examples.

• Hymenoptera insects have Two pairs of membranous and transparent wings lacking scales, four in total, which can sometimes be absent. When they are in flight they keep them together with the help of some hooks located in the previous torque, which facilitates the flight. The number of hooks varies according to the size of the hymenopter.
• The size varies quite among the group members: some can measure a few millimeters, but there are also up to 5 centimeters long.
• In many hymenoptera the ovositor in addition to being able to put eggs is modified in Sting for injecting poisonor in the form of a razor to pierce plants within which they will place their eggs.
• Hymenoptera’s oral apparatus is chewing typewith jaws developed. However, this device is adapted to the type of food that is varied in the group according to the species. Many species can also have long proboscis with which they can lick or suck the floral nectar. This is how we can distinguish between different types of food in the group such as predators, nectarivores or fitophages.

German wasp (Vespula Germanica)

This is one of the examples of hymenoptera within the wasps gurpo. It has the characteristic bright yellow colors with contrasting black, a form of amematism to warn possible dangerous predators. They are eusocial, which means that they have an extremely specialized social organization where queens, zánganos and workers are distinguished. Inhabits Eurasia and North Africa, but it has already reached other continents. They have sting with strong poison, already a difference from bees, does not lose the structure when itching so it can do it more than once increasing the infringed damage. They hunt arthropods, but they can also feed on high aphid secretions in sugars, nectar or honey. It belongs to the Vspidea Superfamily and Vespidae family.

Black giant icneumonic wasp (Megarhyssa Atrata)

The family to which this species belongs, called ichneumonidae, could be confused with the wasps if it were not for its very elongated body and more segments antennas, which are used to detect the vibrations from prey under the trunks of the trees, since the larvae are parasites. In early development stages they are parasites of other insects, and when they are adults they already become independent. The females have an ovositor long, which is in fact the longest between all insects. It is found in North America.

In this other post you can discover the different types of wasps.

Ant arriera (Mexican Atta)

It belongs to the Formicidae family and are also eusocial insects. The wings in the ants are a distinctive of the caste to which they belong: they only have the queens during the nuptial flights and then lose them, and the zánganos are also winged. The workers are completely lacking wings. They are known as arriers because the workers are dedicated to cutting leaves and carrying them up to their nest, where you use them to produce a fungus from which they feed. They become an important crop for the amount of leaves that can be pruned. They are originally from America.

Here you can learn about the types of ants.

Common or European white -tailed bumblebee (Bombus Terrestris)

Belonging to the Apoidea Superfamily, Apidae family and subfamily Bombinae, this bumblebee is an important pollinator that is used in the agriculture industry to help with such task. It is the most common in Europe for the great value it has for the human and for what has been imported to other parts of the world, but due to its great adaptability it has displaced native bruises representing a serious plague. He has many pelillos that cover his body and are relatively large in size, compared to bees.

Know more about the different types of bumblebees here.

Carder bee (Anthidium Florentinum)

It is usually very familiar with honey bees, so we finish this article with a special and little known bee. It belongs to the clado of the antophiles that in Greek means lovers of flowers. The sub -order under which they are classified is apocrita, Apoidea Superfamily and Megachilidae family. Its pollen collecting organ is not on the legs as it happens in bruises and other bees, but is in the abdomen. They also stand out because they are not Basque, but lonely. They do not build nests with secretions, but with materials that find as plant fibers. For this they have a very strong labro to be able to cut the materials, and from this characteristic comes the name of their family.

In this other article you can read about the characteristics of bees. In addition, here you can learn about the difference between bee, wasp and bumblebee.

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