Ants, Bees & Wasps
Order Hymenoptera
One of the most ecologically important orders, including key pollinators and social insects. Many species exhibit complex social behavior and colony organization.
Species in this Order (236)
Acrobat Ant
Crematogaster scutellaris
A Mediterranean ant with a heart-shaped abdomen it raises over its thorax when alarmed. They nest in...
African Bulldog Ant
Myrmecia regularis
A large aggressive ant with excellent vision and powerful mandibles. It can leap and deliver a painf...
African Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa caffra
A large robust bee with a shiny black body and yellowish thoracic hair in males. It excavates nestin...
African Driver Ant
Dorylus wilverthi
A notorious army ant species that forms massive raiding columns through the forest floor. Colonies c...
African Fig Wasp
Ceratosolen capensis
A tiny wasp with an obligate mutualistic relationship with African fig trees. Females enter figs thr...
African Giant Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa flavorufa
One of Africa's largest bees, with females covered in tawny-orange fur and males in yellowish hair. ...
African Honey Bee
Apis mellifera scutellata
The African subspecies of the western honey bee, known for its defensive behavior and high productiv...
African Mud Dauber
Sceliphron spirifex
A slender black and yellow wasp with an extremely narrow petiole waist. It constructs mud nests on w...
African Paper Wasp
Belonogaster juncea
A slender reddish-brown social wasp that builds small open paper nests under eaves and branches. It ...
African Sand Wasp
Bembix capensis
A fast-flying sand wasp with black and yellow banding that nests in sandy ground. Females provision ...
African Spider Wasp
Hemipepsis capensis
A very large blue-black wasp with bright orange wings that hunts baboon spiders. It is one of Africa...
African Stingless Bee
Meliponula bocandei
A small dark stingless bee that nests in tree hollows and produces a prized thin honey. Colonies can...
African Stingless Bee
Meliponula ferruginea
A widespread African stingless bee that nests in tree cavities and wall crevices. Their honey is har...
African Weaver Ant
Oecophylla longinoda
An arboreal ant that constructs leaf nests by weaving living leaves together using larval silk. Colo...
Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee
Megachile rotundata
A small solitary bee that cuts precise circular pieces from leaves to construct nest cells. It is th...
Alfalfa Weevil Parasitoid
Bathyplectes curculionis
A small parasitoid wasp that attacks alfalfa weevil larvae in North America. It was introduced from ...
Amazonian Fungus-Growing Ant
Atta laevigata
One of the largest leaf-cutter ant species with smooth, shiny-headed major workers. Its subterranean...
Amazonian Giant Ant
Pachycondyla villosa
A large, hairy black ponerine ant with a powerful sting and strong mandibles. It is a solitary groun...
American Bumble Bee
Bombus pensylvanicus
A large bumble bee with a yellow thorax, black band between the wings, and a mostly yellow abdomen. ...
American Slave-Maker Ant
Polyergus lucidus
A North American slave-making ant that conducts well-organized raids on Formica colonies. New queens...
Anthricinan Yellow-Faced Bee
Hylaeus anthracinus
One of seven Hawaiian yellow-faced bees federally listed as endangered. These small native bees are ...
Apache Paper Wasp
Polistes apachus
A large paper wasp of the American Southwest with yellow and reddish-brown coloring. It constructs o...
Aphid Mummy Wasp
Aphidius ervi
A tiny parasitoid wasp widely used in biological control of pea aphids and other large aphid species...
Aphidius Wasp
Aphidius colemani
A minute parasitoid wasp widely used in greenhouses to control aphid pests. A single female can para...
Aphytis Wasp
Aphytis melinus
A tiny golden-yellow parasitoid wasp that is the primary biocontrol agent of California red scale on...
Argentine Ant
Linepithema humile
Forms massive supercolonies spanning thousands of kilometers. One supercolony stretches 6,000 km alo...
Army Ant
Eciton burchellii
Nomadic ants that do not build permanent nests. Raids of up to 200,000 workers sweep through the for...
Ash Whitefly Parasitoid
Encarsia inaron
A minute parasitoid wasp that attacks whitefly nymphs on ash trees and other hosts. It was introduce...
Ashy Mining Bee
Andrena cineraria
A striking black and grey solitary bee with silvery-white hair bands on its thorax. It nests in comp...
Asian Giant Hornet
Vespa mandarinia
The worlds largest hornet. A single colony can kill an entire hive of 30,000 honey bees in just a fe...
Asian Needle Ant
Brachyponera chinensis
An invasive East Asian ant spreading through the southeastern US. Its sting causes anaphylaxis more ...
Bald-faced Hornet
Dolichovespula maculata
A large black and white social wasp that builds impressive football-sized paper nests in trees and o...
Banchine Wasp
Banchus falcatorius
A stout black-and-yellow ichneumon wasp that mimics social wasps in appearance. It is a solitary par...
Banded Chalcid Wasp
Chalcis sispes
A robust chalcid wasp with enlarged hind femora bearing tooth-like projections. It parasitizes the p...
Banded Ichneumon
Ichneumon xanthorius
A boldly patterned black-and-yellow parasitoid wasp commonly found in European gardens. It parasitiz...
Banded Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla occidentalis africana
A wingless wasp covered in dense orange and black velvety hair. Despite the name, it is actually a s...
Black Imported Fire Ant
Solenopsis richteri
A dark-colored fire ant native to South America that has established populations in the southeastern...
Blue Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa caerulea
A striking large bee with brilliant blue iridescent coloring. Nests in dead wood by boring tunnels. ...
Blue Mason Bee
Osmia caerulescens
A small, metallic blue-black solitary bee that nests in pre-existing cavities in wood and walls. It ...
Blue Mud Dauber
Chalybion californicum
A metallic blue wasp that preys on black widow spiders. It reuses mud nests built by other dauber sp...
Blue Orchard Bee
Osmia lignaria
A metallic dark blue solitary bee that nests in pre-existing holes in wood. It is an exceptionally e...
Blue-Banded Bee
Amegilla cingulata
A striking Australian native bee with iridescent turquoise bands on its abdomen. They are important ...
Brachymeria Chalcid
Brachymeria intermedia
A stocky black chalcid wasp that is a hyperparasitoid, attacking other parasitoid wasps inside their...
Braconid Mummy Wasp
Aphidius matricariae
A small parasitoid wasp specializing in green peach aphids and other crop pest aphids. It is commerc...
Brazilian Stingless Bee
Melipona quadrifasciata
A robust stingless bee with a dark body and four pale abdominal bands. It is the most culturally imp...
Buff-tailed Bumblebee
Bombus terrestris
A large, familiar bumblebee with black fur, a yellow collar, a yellow abdominal band, and a distinct...
Bulldog Ant
Myrmecia gulosa
A large aggressive ant with long mandibles and excellent vision found in Australia. It can jump and ...
Bullet Ant
Paraponera clavata
Named for its extremely painful sting, rated 4+ on the Schmidt Pain Index. Indigenous Satere-Mawe pe...
California Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex californicus
A small harvester ant found in hot deserts of the American Southwest. Colonies are often founded by ...
Cape Honey Bee
Apis mellifera capensis
A unique honey bee subspecies where workers can lay diploid female eggs without mating. It is restri...
Carpenter Ant
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
The largest common ant in North America, excavating smooth galleries in dead wood for nesting. Unlik...
Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa violacea
A large, robust bee with an entirely black body showing violet-blue iridescent wings. It excavates n...
Cassava Mealybug Parasitoid
Anagyrus lopezi
A tiny encyrtid wasp credited with saving Africa's cassava crop from devastating mealybug infestatio...
Cicada Killer Wasp
Sphecius speciosus
A large solitary wasp that provisions its burrow with paralyzed cicadas....
Citrus Leafminer Parasitoid
Cirrospilus ingenuus
A tiny ectoparasitoid wasp that attacks citrus leafminer larvae inside their leaf mines. It has been...
Citrus Mealybug Encyrtid
Leptomastix dactylopii
A solitary parasitoid wasp specific to citrus mealybugs, used globally in greenhouse biological cont...
Coccygomimus Wasp
Pimpla turionellae
A cosmopolitan black ichneumonid used in biological control of pine shoot moths. Females sting and p...
Cocktail Ant
Crematogaster peringueyi
A small dark ant that holds its heart-shaped gaster raised above its body like a flag. It nests in d...
Common Carder Bee
Bombus pascuorum
A fluffy ginger-brown bumblebee that builds nests on the ground surface using moss and grass. It has...
Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
A robust fuzzy bumble bee with a black body and yellow thoracic band that is widely used as a commer...
Common Furrow Bee
Halictus rubicundus
A widespread sweat bee found across the Northern Hemisphere that displays flexible social behavior. ...
Common Pimpline Wasp
Pimpla hypochondriaca
A stout black parasitoid wasp that attacks moth and butterfly pupae. It is one of the most frequentl...
Common Potter Wasp
Eumenes fraternus
A North American potter wasp that builds small globular mud cells on plant stems and twigs. The fema...
Common Trichogramma Wasp
Trichogramma brassicae
One of the tiniest parasitoid wasps, it lays eggs inside moth eggs destroying them before hatching. ...
Common Yellowjacket
Vespula vulgaris
An aggressive social wasp with bold black and yellow markings that builds large underground paper ne...
Copidosoma Polyembryonic Wasp
Copidosoma floridanum
A remarkable parasitoid in which a single egg divides into thousands of genetically identical embryo...
Corn Earworm Egg Parasitoid
Trichogramma pretiosum
A microscopic egg parasitoid wasp used extensively against cotton bollworm and corn earworm. It is t...
Cotesia Congregata
Cotesia congregata
A gregarious endoparasitoid whose larvae emerge en masse from hornworm caterpillars to spin white co...
Cotesia Glomerata Wasp
Cotesia glomerata
A small gregarious parasitoid wasp that attacks cabbage white butterfly caterpillars. Dozens of larv...
Cuckoo Bee
Nomada flava
A slender, wasp-like bee with yellow and black banding that lacks pollen-collecting structures. It i...
Cuckoo Wasp
Chrysis ignita
A stunning metallic jewel-toned wasp that lays eggs in other wasps nests. Can curl into an armored b...
Desert Blond Tarantula Hawk
Pepsis thisbe
A large metallic blue-black spider wasp with vibrant orange wings found in the Sonoran Desert. Femal...
Desert Cuckoo Bee
Nomada texana
A parasitic wasp-like bee that lays its eggs in the nests of other desert bees. Its larvae consume t...
Desert Digger Bee
Centris pallida
A large, fuzzy solitary bee of the Sonoran Desert that nests in burrows in hard-packed soil. Males p...
Desert Fire Ant
Solenopsis aurea
A golden-colored fire ant native to the deserts of the American Southwest. It builds inconspicuous n...
Desert Globe Mallow Bee
Diadasia diminuta
A specialist solitary bee that visits only globe mallow flowers in the American Southwest. It lines ...
Desert Honeybee
Apis mellifera jemenitica
A small, heat-tolerant subspecies of honeybee native to the deserts of Africa and Arabia. It can for...
Desert Leaf-Cutter Ant
Acromyrmex versicolor
The only leaf-cutter ant adapted to true desert habitats in North America. It harvests leaves and fl...
Desert Navigator Ant
Cataglyphis fortis
A heat-tolerant Saharan ant famous for its extraordinary navigation abilities. It uses a built-in pe...
Dibrachys Pupal Parasite
Dibrachys cavus
A gregarious parasitoid wasp that attacks the pupae and cocoons of many different insect hosts. It i...
Dinoponera Giant Ant
Dinoponera gigantea
One of the largest ants in the world with workers reaching over 30 mm. It forms queenless colonies w...
Dinosaur Ant
Nothomyrmecia macrops
Considered the most primitive living ant, often called a living fossil. Discovered in 1931 and then ...
Dracula Ant
Mystrium camillae
Has the fastest known animal movement — mandibles snap shut at 90 m/s (320 km/h), 5,000 times faster...
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica
A large robust bee that resembles a bumble bee but has a shiny black hairless abdomen. It excavates ...
Eastern Yellowjacket
Vespula maculifrons
A common ground-nesting yellowjacket with bold black and yellow banding on its abdomen. It builds la...
Emerald Cockroach Wasp
Ampulex compressa
A brilliant emerald-green wasp that zombifies cockroaches. It delivers precise stings to the cockroa...
Encyrtus Scale Parasite
Encyrtus infelix
A parasitoid wasp that attacks soft scale insects on citrus and ornamental trees. It was among the e...
Ensign Wasp
Evania appendigaster
A parasitoid wasp that targets cockroach egg cases and helps control pest populations....
European Amazon Ant
Polyergus rufescens
An obligate slave-making ant that raids colonies of Formica ants to steal pupae. The kidnapped worke...
European Beewolf
Philanthus triangulum
A large, striking yellow-and-black solitary wasp that specialises in hunting honeybees. Females para...
European Corn Borer Braconid
Macrocentrus cingulum
A slender parasitoid wasp introduced to North America to control the European corn borer moth. It la...
European Corn Borer Egg Parasitoid
Trichogramma ostriniae
A tiny egg parasitoid wasp native to Asia and introduced to North America for corn borer control. It...
European Hornet
Vespa crabro
The largest European wasp, with a brown and yellow striped body and reddish-brown head and thorax. D...
Executioner Wasp
Polistes carnifex
The largest Neotropical paper wasp, with a sting that produces immediate searing pain and potentiall...
Exploding Ant
Colobopsis explodens
Minor workers can deliberately rupture their own bodies in an act of self-sacrifice, releasing a tox...
Fairy Wasp
Kikiki huna
One of the smallest known insects in the world at just 0.15 millimeters long....
Fairy Wasp
Mymaridae sp. (Kikiki huna)
One of the smallest insects in the world, measuring around 0.15 mm. It is a parasitoid of insect egg...
Fairyfly Wasp
Dicopomorpha echmepterygis
The smallest known insect in the world at just 0.139 mm in length. Males are blind, wingless, and sm...
Fig Wasp
Ceratosolen fusciceps
A tiny wasp that pollinates a single species of fig in an obligate mutualism....
Fig Wasp
Blastophaga psenes
A tiny wasp essential for pollinating common figs through an ancient mutualism. Females enter figs t...
Four-toothed Mason Wasp
Monobia quadridens
A solitary black and white mason wasp that nests in hollow stems and old carpenter bee tunnels. It p...
Gall Wasp
Andricus quercuscalicis
A tiny wasp that induces knopper galls on oak acorns, deforming them completely....
German Yellowjacket
Vespula germanica
A highly adaptable social wasp that has become one of the most widespread invasive insects globally....
Giant Honey Bee
Apis dorsata
The largest honey bee species, building huge exposed single-comb nests on cliff faces and tall build...
Giant Ichneumon Wasp
Dolichomitus imperator
A parasitoid wasp with an ovipositor longer than its body used to drill into wood....
Giant Neotropical Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa frontalis
One of the largest bees in the Americas with a robust black body and yellowish thoracic hair. Female...
Giant Resin Bee
Megachile sculpturalis
A large solitary bee originally from East Asia now invasive in North America and Europe. It uses tre...
Glyptomorpha Braconid
Glyptomorpha deesae
A small parasitoid wasp that attacks bruchid beetle larvae inside stored legume seeds. It has been s...
Gold-fringed Mason Bee
Osmia aurulenta
A distinctive solitary bee that nests inside empty snail shells on warm hillsides. Females cover the...
Gold-tailed Ruby Wasp
Chrysis fulgida
A dazzling metallic wasp with a bright green head and thorax and a golden-red abdomen. It is a brood...
Golden Northern Bumble Bee
Bombus fervidus
A large bumble bee with an almost entirely yellow-furred thorax and anterior abdomen. It is a genera...
Golden Orchid Bee
Eufriesea surinamensis
A stunningly beautiful orchid bee with a metallic golden-green body and reddish legs. It is a solita...
Golden Paper Wasp
Polistes fuscatus
A social wasp with highly variable facial markings used for individual recognition. It builds open p...
Grain Moth Parasitoid
Pteromalus cerealellae
A small metallic parasitoid wasp that attacks stored-product moth larvae and pupae. It is found in g...
Grain Pteromalid
Anisopteromalus calandrae
A tiny parasitoid of grain weevil and bruchid beetle larvae concealed inside stored cereal grains. I...
Great Golden Digger Wasp
Sphex ichneumoneus
A large solitary wasp with a golden-furred thorax and orange-red legs that digs burrows in sandy soi...
Green Tree Ant
Oecophylla smaragdina subnitida
An Australian subspecies of the Asian weaver ant with distinctive bright green coloring. Indigenous ...
Greenhouse Whitefly Parasitoid
Encarsia formosa
The most widely used parasitoid wasp in greenhouse biological control worldwide. Parasitized whitefl...
Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee
Bombus bohemicus
A social parasite that invades colonies of other bumble bees, killing the queen and enslaving the wo...
Hairy-footed Flower Bee
Anthophora plumipes
A fast-flying, plump solitary bee with males covered in tawny hair and females jet black. It is one ...
Hawaiian Big-headed Ant
Pheidole megacephala
An invasive ant now widespread in Hawaii with a disproportionately large head in the soldier caste. ...
Hockeria Chalcid
Hockeria unicolor
A metallic dark parasitoid wasp that attacks the pupae of noctuid moths in the soil. It is found acr...
Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
The worlds most important pollinator. Lives in complex colonies of up to 80,000 individuals with a s...
Honey Pot Ant
Myrmecocystus mexicanus
Certain workers called repletes serve as living food storage vessels. They hang from the ceiling, go...
Horned Mason Bee
Osmia cornuta
A robust spring-flying bee with distinctive horn-like projections on the female's face. It is widely...
Horntail Wasp
Urocerus gigas
A large wood wasp that injects symbiotic fungus into trees along with its eggs....
Horse Chestnut Leafminer Parasitoid
Pnigalio agraules
A small metallic-green ectoparasitoid wasp that attacks leafminer larvae inside leaf mines. It has a...
House Fly Pupal Parasitoid
Muscidifurax raptor
A minute parasitoid wasp that develops inside house fly and stable fly pupae. It is sold commerciall...
Hunt's Bumble Bee
Bombus huntii
A medium-sized bumble bee with orange, black, and yellow banding commonly found in the western Unite...
Ichneumon Wasp
Megarhyssa macrurus
A large parasitoid wasp with an extremely long, thread-like ovipositor that can exceed the length of...
Jack Jumper Ant
Myrmecia pilosula
A medium-sized black ant with powerful mandibles and an extremely potent sting. It is one of the mos...
Japanese Giant Hornet
Vespa mandarinia japonica
The largest hornet in the world, capable of destroying an entire honey bee colony in hours. A small ...
Jewel Wasp Pteromalid
Nasonia vitripennis
A tiny jewel wasp that parasitizes the pupae of blowflies, flesh flies, and house flies. It is one o...
Keyhole Wasp
Pachodynerus nasidens
A mud-nesting wasp notorious for building nests inside aircraft pitot tubes. It has caused aviation ...
Large Garden Bumble Bee
Bombus ruderatus
A long-tongued bumble bee introduced to New Zealand in the early 1900s to pollinate red clover. They...
Large Scoliid Wasp
Megascolia maculata
Europe's largest wasp, with a massive black body marked with bold yellow spots. Females burrow under...
Large-legged Chalcid
Chalcis myrifex
A parasitoid wasp with conspicuously thickened hind femora used to brace itself while ovipositing. I...
Leafcutter Ant
Atta cephalotes
Fungus farmers that cut and carry leaf fragments to underground gardens where they cultivate a speci...
Lemon-tree Borer Parasite
Diachasmimorpha longicaudata
A parasitoid of fruit fly larvae that has been released worldwide for biological control of tephriti...
Lesser Leaf-Cutter Ant
Acromyrmex octospinosus
A smaller leaf-cutter ant species covered in spiny tubercles on its body. It forms more modest colon...
Long-tailed Giant Ichneumon
Megarhyssa atrata
A large dark-bodied ichneumonid wasp found in eastern North America. Females bore through bark to pa...
Lunate Ichneumon
Megarhyssa greenei
A reddish-brown parasitoid wasp native to North America. It targets horntail larvae in hardwood tree...
Marauder Ant
Carebara diversa
An Asian ant with the greatest size variation of any ant species, with major workers 500 times heavi...
Maricopa Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex maricopa
Produces the most toxic insect venom known — with an LD50 of 0.12 mg/kg in mice. Just 12 stings can ...
Matabele Ant
Megaponera analis
A large black ant that specializes in raiding termite mounds in organized military-style columns. Wo...
Median Wasp
Dolichovespula media
A large social wasp that builds aerial paper nests in trees and shrubs across Europe. They are less ...
Metaphycus Scale Parasitoid
Metaphycus helvolus
A golden-yellow parasitoid wasp that attacks black scale and other soft scale insects on citrus and ...
Mud Dauber Wasp
Sceliphron caementarium
A slender black and yellow solitary wasp that builds tubular mud nests on walls and structures. It s...
Neon Cuckoo Bee
Thyreus nitidulus
A stunning blue-spotted cleptoparasite that lays eggs in the nests of blue-banded bees. The cuckoo l...
Neotropical Paper Wasp
Polistes canadensis
A large reddish-brown paper wasp with dark wings that builds open-comb nests under eaves and branche...
Neotropical Stingless Bee
Tetragonisca angustula
A tiny stingless bee whose honey has been harvested by indigenous peoples for centuries....
Nigerian Driver Ant
Dorylus nigricans
A large driver ant species with massive soldier caste bearing sickle-shaped mandibles. Raiding colum...
Nocturnal Sweat Bee
Megalopta genalis
One of few bees adapted to forage in near-total darkness in tropical forests....
Oak Marble Gall Wasp
Andricus kollari
A tiny wasp that induces marble-shaped galls on oak twigs where its larvae develop. The galls were h...
Orchid Bee
Euglossa dilemma
A metallic green bee that collects fragrant compounds from orchids. Males store scents in specialize...
Orchid Bee
Eulaema meriana
A large, strikingly metallic green bee with a long tongue adapted for reaching deep into orchid flow...
Orchid Bee
Euglossa imperialis
Dazzling metallic-colored bees that collect aromatic compounds from orchids. Males use collected sce...
Panda Ant
Euspinolia militaris
Not actually an ant but a wingless wasp. Named for its black and white panda-like coloring. Females ...
Paper Wasp
Polistes dominula
Builds open-comb nests from chewed wood fiber mixed with saliva, creating paper-like material. Has a...
Patchwork Leafcutter Bee
Megachile centuncularis
A solitary bee that neatly cuts oval pieces from rose and other leaves to line its nest cells. The c...
Pavement Ant
Tetramorium caespitum
A common urban ant that nests under sidewalks, driveways, and building foundations. They are well kn...
Pearly-banded Bee
Nomia melanderi
A ground-nesting bee with pearly white abdominal bands vital for alfalfa pollination. Large nesting ...
Pergid Sawfly
Perga affinis
An Australian sawfly whose larvae form dense defensive clusters called spitfires on eucalyptus trees...
Peruvian Parasitoid Wasp
Capitojoppa amazonica
Described in 2023 as a new genus from the hyperdiverse Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve in Peru. ...
Pharaoh Ant
Monomorium pharaonis
A tiny tropical ant that has become a major indoor pest in heated buildings worldwide. Colonies repr...
Plasterer Bee
Colletes hederae
A solitary bee discovered in 1993 that is a specialist pollinator of ivy flowers....
Potter Wasp
Delta campaniforme
A solitary wasp that constructs elegant jug-shaped mud nests attached to twigs and walls. Each minia...
Potter Wasp
Delta unguiculatum
A solitary wasp that constructs small urn-shaped mud nests on walls and branches. Each pot is provis...
Potter Wasp
Delta caffrum
A large black and yellow solitary wasp that builds beautiful urn-shaped mud pots to house its larvae...
Pteromalus Pupal Wasp
Pteromalus puparum
A small metallic-green parasitoid that attacks butterfly and moth pupae, particularly those of cabba...
Red Dwarf Honey Bee
Apis florea
The smallest honey bee species, building single exposed combs hanging from tree branches. They are i...
Red Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex barbatus
A large red ant that builds conspicuous mound nests cleared of vegetation in arid terrain. Workers c...
Red Imported Fire Ant
Solenopsis invicta
An aggressive, reddish-brown ant with a painful burning sting. Originally from South America, it has...
Red Mason Bee
Osmia bicornis
A compact, ginger-haired solitary bee that nests in hollow stems and bee hotels. It is an exceptiona...
Red-banded Netelia
Netelia testacea
A slender orange-brown ichneumonid wasp active at night in summer. It is an ectoparasitoid of noctui...
Red-tailed Bumblebee
Bombus lapidarius
A jet-black bumblebee with a vivid orange-red tail that is unmistakable in flight. It commonly nests...
Resin Bee
Megachile campanulae
A solitary bee that collects plant resins and sap to construct its brood cells....
Rice Stem Borer Egg Parasitoid
Trichogramma japonicum
A minute parasitoid wasp widely used in Asian rice paddies to control stem borer moths. It is mass-r...
Rose Sawfly
Arge ochropus
A yellow and black sawfly whose larvae skeletonize rose leaves. Adults are commonly found on rose bu...
Rough Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex rugosus
A dark-colored harvester ant with a rough, sculptured body found in the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deser...
Rusty Patched Bumble Bee
Bombus affinis
A once-common bumble bee named for the rust-colored patch on the second abdominal segment of workers...
Sabre Wasp
Rhyssa persuasoria
The largest European ichneumon wasp, recognized by its black-and-white banded body. It parasitizes t...
Saharan Carpenter Ant
Camponotus aegyptiacus
A large black carpenter ant found in desert habitats from Egypt to Arabia. It nests in soil rather t...
Saharan Silver Ant
Cataglyphis bombycina
The fastest ant in the world, sprinting across Saharan sand at midday when predators shelter from th...
Sand Wasp
Bembix rostrata
A robust wasp that digs burrows in sandy soil and provisions them with flies. It progressively feeds...
Sand Wasp
Bembix americana
A fast-flying solitary wasp that digs nesting burrows in sandy desert soil. It provisions each cell ...
Saxon Wasp
Dolichovespula saxonica
A social wasp that builds distinctive grey football-shaped nests in trees and bushes. It is generall...
Schizonotus Chalcid
Schizonotus sieboldi
A parasitoid of mason bee larvae found across temperate Asia. It enters the sealed mud nests of Osmi...
Short-tailed Ichneumon
Ophion luteus
A nocturnal parasitoid wasp with a strongly compressed, amber-orange body. It is commonly attracted ...
Sirex Woodwasp
Sirex noctilio
A large blue-black woodwasp that bores into pine trees to lay eggs. It injects a symbiotic fungus in...
Sonoran Honeypot Ant
Myrmecocystus navajo
A honeypot ant species native to the high deserts of the Colorado Plateau. Repletes store amber-colo...
South American Cuckoo Bee
Exaerete frontalis
A large metallic blue-green cleptoparasitic orchid bee that lays its eggs in the nests of other orch...
South American Fire Ant
Solenopsis saevissima
An aggressive reddish-brown fire ant native to South America with a painful venomous sting. Colonies...
Southeast Asian Stingless Bee
Heterotrigona itama
A popular managed stingless bee in Malaysia and Indonesia valued for its medicinal honey. They const...
Southeastern Blueberry Bee
Habropoda laboriosa
A fuzzy native bee that is the most efficient pollinator of blueberry flowers in North America. It u...
Spalangia Fly Parasite
Spalangia cameroni
A small dark wasp that parasitizes fly pupae in manure and decaying organic matter. It is commercial...
Spider Wasp
Cryptocheilus bicolor
A large orange and black wasp that hunts huntsman spiders for its larvae....
Spotted-eye Hover Fly
Eristalinus taeniops
A large hover fly with distinctively striped compound eyes and a bee-like body. It is an excellent p...
Squash Bee
Peponapis pruinosa
A solitary ground-nesting bee that specializes exclusively in pollinating squash, pumpkin, and gourd...
Steel-blue Cricket Hunter
Chlorion aerarium
A large metallic blue wasp that hunts field crickets and mole crickets. It drags paralyzed prey into...
Sugarbag Bee
Tetragonula carbonaria
A tiny Australian stingless bee commonly kept in backyard hives for pollination and honey. They buil...
Sugarcane Borer Egg Parasitoid
Trichogramma galloi
A tiny egg parasitoid extensively used in Brazilian sugarcane fields. It is highly effective against...
Swarm-Founding Wasp
Polybia paulista
A small dark social wasp that builds enclosed paper nests containing thousands of individuals. It is...
Sweat Bee
Augochlora pura
A brilliantly metallic green bee that nests in rotting wood rather than soil....
Sweat Bee
Agapostemon virescens
A brilliant metallic green bee with a striped black and yellow abdomen in females. It is attracted t...
Sweat Bee
Halictus ligatus
A small, dark metallic bee that is attracted to human perspiration for its salt content. It exhibits...
Sweat Bee
Augochlorella aurata
A tiny metallic green bee that is attracted to human perspiration for its salt content. It nests in ...
Sweat Bee of the Desert
Lasioglossum titusi
A small metallic green bee found in arid regions of western North America. It nests communally in sa...
Tarantula Hawk
Pepsis grossa
A giant wasp that hunts tarantulas. The female paralyzes a tarantula with her sting, drags it to a b...
Tawny Crazy Ant
Nylanderia fulva
A small reddish-brown ant that forms enormous supercolonies and is displacing fire ants in the south...
Tawny Mining Bee
Andrena fulva
A solitary bee covered in dense bright orange-brown fur that gives it a foxy appearance. Females exc...
Texas Leafcutter Ant
Atta texana
The northernmost leafcutter ant species, found in the southern United States. Nests can extend 6 met...
Thief Ant
Solenopsis molesta
One of the smallest ant species in North America, nesting near larger ant colonies to steal food and...
Thistle Gall Wasp
Isocolus scabiosae
A minute gall-inducing wasp that forms swellings on knapweed flower heads. It has been studied as a ...
Thistledown Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla gloriosa
A strikingly beautiful velvet ant covered in long white hair that resembles a piece of thistledown b...
Tinkerbell Fairyfly
Tinkerbella nana
One of the smallest insects ever described, named after Peter Pans Tinker Bell. Discovered in Costa ...
Tobacco Caterpillar Braconid
Microplitis demolitor
A small endoparasitoid wasp that injects polydnavirus along with its eggs into caterpillar hosts. It...
Tormus Bee
Perdita minima
The smallest known bee in the world at under 2 mm in length. It is a solitary ground-nesting species...
Trap-Jaw Ant
Odontomachus bauri
Has the fastest-closing jaws in the animal kingdom — mandibles snap shut at 64 m/s (230 km/h) with f...
Tropical Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa latipes
One of the largest bee species in Asia with jet-black coloring and broad wings. They produce a loud ...
Turnip Sawfly
Athalia rosae
A small orange and black sawfly whose larvae defoliate brassica crops....
Turtle Ant
Cephalotes atratus
A large, flat-bodied arboreal ant with a broad disc-shaped head used to block nest entrances in tree...
Twig Ant
Pseudomyrmex gracilis
A slender fast-moving ant that nests in hollow twigs and delivers a painful sting....
Valentine Ant
Crematogaster cerasi
A North American acrobat ant common in deciduous forests and suburban yards. They typically nest in ...
Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla occidentalis
Not actually an ant but a wasp. Females are wingless and covered in dense, colorful hair. Known as "...
Velvet Tree Ant
Liometopum occidentale
A large ant that nests in oak trees and produces a distinctive trail pheromone odor....
Wallacea Giant Bee
Megachile pluto
The worlds largest bee at 39 mm long with a 63 mm wingspan. Thought extinct for 38 years until redis...
Warrior Wasp
Synoeca septentrionalis
Rated 4.0 on the Schmidt Pain Index alongside the bullet ant and tarantula hawk. Paper nest builders...
Weaver Ant
Oecophylla smaragdina
Builds elaborate nests by weaving living leaves together using silk produced by their own larvae. Wo...
Western Bumble Bee
Bombus occidentalis
A once-common bumble bee of western North America that has experienced dramatic population declines ...
Western Cicada Killer
Sphecius grandis
A massive solitary wasp of the American West that hunts cicadas to provision its underground burrows...
Western Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis
A large red ant that constructs conspicuous gravel-topped mound nests in western grasslands. It clea...
Western Yellowjacket
Vespula pensylvanica
The most common yellowjacket in western North America with a distinctive diamond-shaped black mark o...
Wool Carder Bee
Anthidium manicatum
A robust yellow-and-black solitary bee whose females scrape plant hairs to line their nests. Males a...
Yellow Crazy Ant
Anoplolepis gracilipes
A long-legged, fast-moving invasive ant named for its erratic running pattern. They form supercoloni...
Yellow Ophion
Ophion obscuratus
A laterally flattened, tawny-yellow parasitoid wasp active at dusk and after dark. Its larvae develo...