Wasps in the Order of Things

 

Sphex ichneumoneus, Great Golden Digger Wasp, Sphecidae

In the previous posting we looked at the derivation of bees from the wasp family Crabrondidae. All these insects are classified within the order Hymenoptera which are distinguished by the ability to join their hindwings to their forewings by tiny hooks, for flight efficiency. Two other types (sub-orders) of insects complete the order Hymenoptera: the sawflies and the ants.

A sawfly in the family Argidae 

Sawflies can be considered thick-bodied wasps, lacking the narrow waist that is characteristic of all the other hymenoptera members.

An ant in the Formica fusca group, Formicidae

You might not think of pedestrian ants as being close relatives of the other hymenoptera. Their anatomical similarity is best seen in the winged stage.

Crematogaster cerasi, Acrobat Ants, Formicidae

Ants develop wings in preparation for flight migration to a new nesting colony.

Chalcidoid Wasp, Torymidae on a goldenrod bud

At least 100,000 species of wasps have been described worldwide, many quite tiny like this one that measures less than an eighth of an inch in length.

A Carrot Wasp, Gasteruptiidae on a goldenrod flower

The wasps in this and the previous photo have prominent ovipositors for inserting eggs into a particular medium for development. Most adult wasps forage on flower nectar but play a lesser role in pollination because, unlike bees, they lack hairs on their legs for transporting pollen back to their nests while simultaneously cross-fertilizing the flowers‒the grand bargain.

Agenioideus Spider Wasp, Pompilidae

Juvenile wasps are carnivorous. Adults provide these young with captured prey, or insert their eggs into living, paralyzed insects as their nutritional source. The Pompilidae wasps specialize in provisioning their nests with spiders.

A Cuckoo Wasp, Chrysididae

Many of the pretty cuckoo or jewel wasps are kleptoparasites, meaning they lay their eggs in the nests of other wasp species to exploit their parental care. Most such species attack hosts that provide provisions for their immature stages (such as paralyzed prey items), and they either consume the provisions intended for the host larva, or wait for the host to develop and then consume it before it reaches adulthood.

Dolichovespula maculata, Bald-faced Hornet, Vespidae

The wasps you're most likely to see at Halibut Point are conspicuously patterned, as a warning of their stinging potential and unpalatability. Many other types of insects have evolved mimicking coloration for their own defense. To date I've photographed 85 species of wasps in the Park and its surroundings.