Apocrita
\n| Apocrita species |
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\n| Superfamilies of Apocrita |
\n\nApoidea \nCeraphronoidea \nChalcidoidea \nChrysidoidea \nCynipoidea \nEvanoidea \nIchneumoidea \nMegalyroidea \nProcotupoidea \nSphecoidea \nStephanoidea \nTriganalyoidea \nVespoidea \nmany families, See Article \n |
Apocrita is a group of insects, a taxonomic sub-order of the order Hymenoptera.
The Apocrita include wasps, bees and ants, and are comprised of many families. They include the most advanced
Hymenoptera and are distinguished from the
Symphyta by the narrow
waist joining two segments of the
abdomen. The
ovipositor of the female either extends freely or is retracted, and is converted into a sting for both defence and paralyzing prey. Larvae are legless, and either feed inside a host or in a nest.
The Apocrita consist of two groups, the
parasitica and the
aculeata. The parasitica comprise the largest group of Hymenoptera
insects, with respective members parasitizing
every other species of insect. Most are small, with the ovipositor adapted for piercing. In some hosts the parasites induce
metamorphosis prematurely, and in others it is prolonged. There are even species that are parasitic on the parasites. The parasitica lay their eggs inside another insect (egg, larva
or pupa) and the parasitic larvae grow and develop within that host. The host is killed only after the parasites near maturity. Many parasitic Hymenoptera are used as
biological control control agents to control pests, such as
flies and weevils.
The term
parasitoid was coined in 1961 by R R Askew to describe the strategy in which during its development, the parasite lives in or on the body of a single host individual, eventually killing that host. The adult parasitoid is free-living.
The aculeata includes those species in which the female's ovipositor is modified into a
stinger, these include the familiar
ants,
bees and
wasps. Among the non-social Apocrita, larvae are fed with captured (parasitized) prey or may be fed pollen and nectar. The
social Apocrita feed their young pollen, nectar, and as they mature perhaps seeds, fungi, or even non-viable eggs (ants).
SUPERFAMILIES/Families of the Suborder Apocrita:
\n| Parasitica | Aculeata |
\n\n\n\n- STEPHANOIDEA\n
- Stephanidae \n
- TRIGONALYOIDEA \n
- Trigonalyidae \n
- MEGALYROIDEA \n
- Megalyridae \n
- EVANOIDEA \n
- Aulacidae \n
- Evaniidae - ensign wasps\n
- Gasteruptiidae \n
- CERAPHRONOIDEA \n
- Ceraphronidae \n
- Megaspilidae \n
- PROCOTRUPOIDEA \n
- Austroniidae \n
- Diapriidae \n
- Heloridae \n
- Monomachidae \n
- Pelecinidae \n
- Peradeniidae \n
- Platygastridae \n
- Proctotrupidae \n
- Renyxidae \n
- Roproniidae \n
- Scelionidae \n
- Vanhorniidae \n
- CYNIPOIDEA \n
- Cynipidae - gall wasps \n
- Figitidae \n
- Ibaliidae \n
- CHALCIDOIDEA \n
- Agaonidae - Fig wasps\n
- Aphelinidae \n
- Chalcididae - Chalcid wasps\n
- Elasmidae \n
- Eucharitidae \n
- Eulophidae \n
- Eupelmidae \n
- Eurytomidae - seed chalcids\n
- Leucospidae \n
- Mymaridae - fairyflies, the
smallest of all insects\n- Mymarommatidae \n
- Omyridae \n
- Perilampidae \n
- Pteromalidae \n
- Rotoitidae \n
- Signiphoridae \n
- Tanaostigmatidae \n
- Tetracampidae \n
- Torymidae \n
- Trichogrammatidae \n
- ICHNEUMONOIDEA \n
- Braconidae \n
- Ichneumonidae \n
\n\n |
\n\n\n- CHRYSIDOIDEA \n
- Bethylidae \n
- Chrysididae - cuckoo wasps \n
- Dryinidae \n
- Embolemidae \n
- Plumariidae \n
- Sclerogibbidae \n
- Scolebythidae \n
- APOIDEA - bees \n
- Ampulicidae - thread-waisted wasps \n
- Apidae - bumble bees, orchid bees,
and honeybees (subfamilies)\n- (Colletidae - yellow-faced bees
and plasterer bees)\n- (Andrenidae - andrenid bees)\n
- (Halictidae - halictid bees
and sweat bees)\n- (Anthophoridae - cuckoo bees,
digger bees, and carpenter bees)\n- (Megachilidae - leafcutting bees)\n
- Crabronidae\n
- Heterogynaidae\n
- Sphecidae - digger wasps\n
- VESPOIDEA \n
- Bradynobaenidae \n
- Formicidae - Ants \n
- Mutillidae - velvet ants \n
- Pompilidae - spider wasps \n
- Rhopalosomatidae \n
- Sapygidae \n
- Scoliidae \n
- Sierolomorphidae \n
- Tiphiidae \n
- Vespidae - paper wasps, potter wasps,
hornets, mason wasps, yellowjackets\n \n\n | \n
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