The document summarizes the order Hymenoptera. It belongs to the class Insecta and is characterized by membrane-winged insects including bees, ants, and wasps. Key characteristics include chewing mouthparts, modified thoraxes for flight, membranous and stiff wings coupled by hooklets, and an ovipositor modified for various functions. There are two suborders, Symphyta which includes sawflies and have caterpillar-like larvae, and Apocrita which are more behaviorally sophisticated and include parasitic wasps, bees, and ants. Many families are described including their distinguishing traits and examples of economic importance.

1. Order : Hymenoptera
PREPARED BY
DR. S. SUMAIYA

2. ORDER HYMENOPTERA
 Etymology: Hymen – membrane; Ptera –
wings
 Hymeno – god or marriage; Ptera –
wings, (Marriage on the wings) (union of
fore and hind wings by hamuli)
 Common names: Ichneumonflies, ants,
bees, wasps
Order characters
 Mouthparts-chewing- Mandibles -very
well developed- In bees both labium and
maxillae- integrated to form lapping
tongue
 Thorax- modified for efficient flight:
Pronotum- collar like;
 Mesothorax-enlarged; Metathorax-small-
Both prothorax and metathorax -fused
with mesothorax

3.  Characters
 Wings-stiff and membranous- FW- larger than
HW- Wing venation-reduced- FW and HW-
coupled by a row of hooklets (hamuli)- on leading
edge of HW1
 Abdomen-basally constricted
 1st abdominal segment- propodeum-fused with
metathorax-first pair of a abdominal spiracles -
located in propodeum-
 2nd segment-pedicel-connects thorax and
abdomen- Abdomen beyond pedicel - gaster or
metasoma
 Ovipositor-modified for oviposition or stinging or
sawing or piercing plant tissue
ORDER HYMENOPTERA

4. Order characters
 Metamorphosis- complete- grub- apodous
and eucephalous-rarely eruciform
 pupa-exarate-enclosed in a silken cocoon
secreted from labial glands
 Sex-determined by fertilization of the eggs
 Fertilized eggs develop into females-males
produced from unfertilized eggs
 Males haploid and females diploid
Hymenoptera

5. TWO SUB-ORDERS
S.
No
SYMPHYTA (Chalastogastra) APOCRITA (Clistogastra)
1 Abdomen-broadly joined to
thorax
Abdomen- petiolated
2 Larva- caterpillar and belongs to
eruciform type
Larva-grub and belongs to
apodous eucephalous type
3 Stemmata- present Stemmata absent
4 Both thoracic and abdominal legs
- present
Legs absent
5 Ovipositor-saw like and suited for
piercing plant tissue
Ovipositor – not saw like, suited for
piercing in parasitic groups or for
stinging in other groups
6 Behavioral sophistication- less Behavioural sophistication- more
7 Phytophagous Generally parasitic

6. Sub-Order Symphyta
Family TENTHREDINIDAE: (Sawflies)
 Wasp like insects
 Abdomen-broadly joined to thorax
 Ovipositor-saw toothed- suited for slicing plant
tissue
 Larva- eruciform- resembles a lepidopteran
caterpillar- one pair of ocelli, papillae (reduced
antenna), three pairs of thoracic legs and 6-8
pairs of abdominal legs- Prolegs lack crockets
 External feeders on foliage- Larvae while feeding
have posterior part of body coiled over edge of
the leaf
 Mustard sawfly: Athalia lugens proxima -
defoliator on mustard and cruciferous
vegetables

7. Sub-Order APOCRITA
Family ICHNEMONIDAE: (Ichneumonflies)
 Adults- diurnal and visit flowers; Fore wing- two
recurrent veins
 Petiole-curved and expanded at the apex; Sternites
of the gaster -membranous
 Ovipositor- arising anterior to tip of abdomen-
longer than body and exerted out permanently
 Larvae-mostly parasites-less frequently
hyperparasites
 Solitary parasites- spin cocoons in or outside host
 Eg. Eriborus trochanteratus -an exotic larval parasite
of BHC

8. Sub-Order APOCRITA
Family BRACONIDAE: (Braconid wasps)
 Small, stout bodied insects; Fore wings -
one recurrent vein
 Petiole-neither curved nor expanded at
the apex; Gaster-sessile or subsessile;
Sternites of gaster- partly membranous
 Abdomen-as long as head and thorax
together
 Parasitize lepidopteran larvae-gregarious
parasites; poly embryony
 Pupation in silken cocoons-externally on
host or away from host in groups
 Eg. Bracon brevicornis: It is mass
multiplied and released for BHC

9. Sub-Order APOCRITA
Family BETHYLIDAE:
 Ant like, black coloured wasps
 Females of many species -
wingless
 Goniozus nephantidis: Specific
larval parasite on coconut BHC
Family CHALCIDIDAE:
 Small to medium sized insects
 Hind coxae -five to six times
larger than fore coxae
 Hind tibial spurs -larger than mid
tibial spurs
 Ovipositor- short and straight
 Eg. Brachymeria sp. -pupal
parasite on coconut BHC

10. Family EULOPHIDAE:
 Minute pupal parasites
 Fore wing-narrower with pubescence on wing lamina-Hairs- not arranged in
rows
 Ovipositor-present at tip of abdomen
 Eg. Tetrastichus israeli: Gregarious pupal parasite -control of coconut BHC
Sub-Order APOCRITA

11. Family TRICHOGRAMMATIDAE:
 Very tiny insects (0.3 to 1.0 mm long)- Tarsus-3 to
4 segmented
 Fore wing-broad with pubescence (microscopic
hairs) in rows
 Hind wings-reduced and fringed with hairs along
margins
 Egg parasites on lepidopteran insects
Eg. Trichogramma sp. -biological control of
sugarcane moth borers
Sub-Order APOCRITA

12. Family EVANIIDAE: (Ensign wasps)
 Petiole- long and abrupt
 Gaster- short, compressed and attached to
propodeum by slender petiole- carried almost like a
flag
 Parasitic on ootheca of cockroaches
Sub-Order APOCRITA

13. Family ENCYRTIDAE: (Encyrtid wasp)
 Small insect 1-2mm in length
 Mesopleuron- small and concave
 Egg parasitoid
 Polyembryony
 Example: Encarsia formosa on green house whitefly and Leptomastis dactylopia
on Planococcus citri
Sub-Order APOCRITA

14. Family AGAONIDAE: (Fig wasp)
 Male- apterous and female -winged
 Female- long ovipositor
 Forelegs and hindlegs- stout, Middle legs- slender
 Live inside fig receptacles and pollinate and fractify flowers.
 Eg. Blastophaga pesenes develops in the capri fig (wild) and pollinates Smyrna fig
(edible cultivated fig)
Sub-Order APOCRITA

15. Family VESPIDAE: (Yellow jackets, hornets)
 Abdomen -conical
 Construct nest with ‘wasp paper’ a substance made from fragments of chewed
wood mixed with saliva
 Solitary or social wasps
 Generally predaceous on Lepidopteran caterpillars-paralyze caterpillars -store in
cells of nests-
 Eg. Yellow banded wasp Vespa cincta- a bee enemy
Sub-Order APOCRITA

16. Family SPHECIDAE:
 (Thread wasted wasp, digger wasp, mud dauber)
 Lateral extensions of pronotum form rounded lobes
 Petiole- slender
 Nests- constructed by using mud or dug out in ground- use insects and spiders to
provision their nests
 Eggs-laid on paralyzed or killed host
Sub-Order APOCRITA

17. Family FORMICIDAE: (Ants)
 Common widespread insects Antennae-
geniculate
 Mandibles- well developed-Wings- present in
sexually mature forms- Petiole- one or two
spines
 Social insects with three castes viz., queen,
males and workers
 Workers-sterile females-form bulk of colony
 Exchange of food materials between adults and
immature insects-common
 Egg laying is started after divesting wings-
Queen not forage for food- only mating and
egg laying
 Many species -established symbiotic
relationship with homopteran insects
Sub-Order APOCRITA

18. Family APIDAE: (Honey bees)
 Body-covered with branching or plumose hairs
 Mouthparts-chewing and lapping type
 Mandibles-suited for crushing and shaping wax for
building combs
 Legs-specialized for pollen collection- Scopa (pollen
basket) -present on hind tibia
 Social insects with three castes viz., queen, drone and
workers- Temporal separation of duties- noticed among
workers
 Indian honey bee: Apis indica- a productive insect
Sub-Order APOCRITA

19. Family MEGACHILIDAE: (Leaf cutter bees)
 Solitary bees- Mandibles- sharp and scissors like
 Pollen gathering hairs (scopa) present on venter of abdomen
 Cut circular or crescent shaped pieces of leaves of rose, Redgram
 Cut pieces of leaves used for preparing leaf lined cells-provision for brood
(mixture of pollen mixed with honey)
 Rose leaf cutter bee: Megachile anthracena- pest on rose and red gram
Sub-Order APOCRITA

20. Family XYLOCOPIDAE: (Carpenter bees)
 Large, robust bees- Dorsum of abdomen- bare
 Pollen baskets- absent in hind legs- But brushes of hairs present on hind legs
 Build nests in dead logs and in live
 Adults- not aggressive and not sting- visit flowers and take nectar by simply biting
through base of flower instead of sipping form the top
Sub-Order APOCRITA