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
