Aculeata (aculeates: bees, wasps and ants)

Further Information

Lab. techniques

Aculeates are a difficult group to identitify, even from specimens, but these are usually needed for certain identification, at least until you're reasonably expert with the group.

Specimens should be set with the legs pulled down away from the body to facilitate examination of the sides of the thorax. Try to ensure the leading edges of the hindwings are hooked onto the trailing edges of the forewings, as they are in life. The wings can be left in the vertical position, or positioned so they are flat, but should not be allowed to obscure the upper surface of the abdomen. Ideally, the jaws held open as the number of teeth is often important.

Sets of Photographs

These relate to individual finds ("biological records") of the organism.

Taxon	Summary				Date	Vice-county	Country

Aculeata	Imago	12		12	19 May 2006	Berks	England
Aculeata	Male imago	11		11	19 May 2006	Berks	England
Aculeata	Imago	8	8		11 Aug 2007	Oxon	England
Aculeata	Male imago	5	5		26 Mar 2005	Berks	England
Aculeata		2	2		3 Apr 1977	North Hampshire	England

Subtaxa

Rank	Taxon

Superfamily	APOIDEA (solitary and hive bees)	49	420	131	4	54
Superfamily	CHRYSIDOIDEA (a superfamily of solitary wasps)	12
Family	BETHYLIDAE (bethylid wasps)					2
Family	CHRYSIDIDAE (rubytail or cuckoo-wasps)	6	8	17		5
Family	DRYINIDAE (dryinid wasps)	1		8		2
Family	EMBOLEMIDAE (a family of parasitic wasps)					2
Family	MUTILLIDAE (velvet ants)	1		4		3
Family	SAPYGIDAE (a family of solitary wasps)					3
Family	TIPHIIDAE (a family of solitary wasps)					3
Superfamily	FORMICOIDEA (ants)	21	19	37		45
Superfamily	POMPILOIDEA (spider-hunting wasps)	3	18	17		3
Superfamily	SPHECOIDEA (a superfamily of solitary wasps)	11	34	46		3
Superfamily	VESPOIDEA (wasps)	9	114	23		14

Suggested Literature

Identification Works

BWARS: Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society: http://www.bwars.com/	BWARS: Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society
Photos of Insects: http://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/insects/index.htm	Photos of Insects
Saunders, E., 1896	The Hymenoptera Aculeata of the British Islands
Willmer, P., 1985	Bees, Ants and Wasps: A key to genera of the British Aculeates
Cercle de Mycologie de Mons (Belgique): (Page perso de JJ. Wuilbaut): http://users.skynet.be/jjw.myco.mons	Cercle de Mycologie de Mons (Belgique): (Page perso de JJ. Wuilbaut)
Regional guides
Baldock, D.W., 2008	Bees of Surrey