Wasps

Types of Wasps Braconid Wasps Cuckoo Wasp Ichneumon Sawflies Cimbicid Sawflies: Trichiosoma Apoid Wasps Sphecidae Family Ammophila Ammophila procera Blue Mud Wasp Grass Carrying Wasps Isodontia mexicana Mud Daubers Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex) Sphex Lucae Sphex habenus Crabronidae Family Beewolves Bembix Bembix Americana Cerceris bicornuta Square-headed Wasp Steniolia Types of Bees Vespoidea Family Vespidae Subfamily Masarinae: Pollen Wasps Pollen Wasp Subfamily Eumeninae: Potter and Mason Wasps Eumenes fraternus Euodynerus megaera Pachodynerus erynnis Subfamily Polistinae: Paper Wasps Polistes aurifer Polistes bellicosus Polistes canadensis Polistes comanchus navajoe Polistes dorsalis Polistes fuscatus Polistes instabilis Polistes major Polistes metricus Western Paper Wasp Subfamily Vespinae: Hornets and Yellowjackets Bald-faced Hornet Yellowjackets Family Mutillidae: Velvet Ants Cow Killer Dasymutilla Family Pompilidae: Spider Wasps Aporus Poecilopompilus algidus Priocnemis Tarantula Hawk Family Sapygidae: Sapygid Wasps Sapygid Wasps Family Scoliidae: Scoliid Wasps Scolia dubia Family Tiphiidae: Tiphiid Wasps Myzinum

One hundred thousand plus species of ants, bees, sawflies and wasps constitute the order Hymenoptera, the second largest order of insects next to beetles.

Hymenoptera taxonomy constantly changes to reflect scientific consensus regarding the proper way to categorize such a large group of insects. Traditionally the presence or absence of a constricted waste served as a key taxonomic differentiation device, with the sawflies and woodwasps relegated to the non-constricted waist suborder (Symphyta) and all other species relegated to the constricted waist suborder (Apocrita).

Categorical subtleties aside, practical interest in the different types of wasps often deals with identifying species that sting and/or build nests in and around residential areas.

Within the superfamily Vespoidae, perhaps the Vespid wasps (family Vespidae) pose the greatest concern to humans because of their habit of building nests in residential areas. Of specific concern is the fact that Vespid species tend to sting (multiple times) as a defensive mechanism, when their nests are threatened.

The Bald-faced Hornet, Paper Wasps (Polistes), the Western Paper Wasp and Yellow Jackets are examples of common vespids found around residential areas.

Moving from the practical to bigger world of wasps, the album divides the types of wasps listed based on two large wasp groups or wasp superfamilies:

• Apoid Wasps - a large group of wasps related to bees
• Vespoidea Wasps - a large group of wasps related to ants

In the Apoid group the sphecid wasps rank among the most easy to identify. Their long, thin waists give them the common name thread-waisted wasps. Five of the eleven sphecid genera are represented here:

• Ammophilia
• Chalybion (Blue Mud Wasp)
• Isodontia (Grass-carrying Wasps)
• Mud Daubers
• Digger Wasps in the genus Sphex.

Beewwolves, Bembix, Square-headed wasps and Steniolia represent four genera of common Crabronidae, the largest Apoid family.

Female apoid wasps do sting, however, in very general terms, they are not aggressive toward humans. As a group, their predatory behavior with respect to other insects often places many species in the beneficial insect category.

Please click on a link in the box on the right to learn more about any species.

© 2005-2009 Patricia A. Michaels