BioInfo (UK)
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. |
BioImages (www.bioimages.org.uk)
has 938 images of Aculeata (aculeates: bees, wasps and ants)
Subtaxa
| Rank | Taxon |  |
 |
 |
|---|
| Superfamily | APOIDEA (solitary and hive bees) | 50 | 67 | 406 |
| Superfamily | CHRYSIDOIDEA (a superfamily of solitary wasps) | 12 | ||
| Family | BETHYLIDAE (bethylid wasps) | 2 | 4 | |
| Family | CHRYSIDIDAE (rubytail or cuckoo-wasps) | 6 | 5 | 46 |
| Family | DRYINIDAE (dryinid wasps) | 1 | 3 | 34 |
| Family | EMBOLEMIDAE (a family of parasitic wasps) | 3 | ||
| Family | MUTILLIDAE (velvet ants) | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Family | SAPYGIDAE (a family of solitary wasps) | 3 | 3 | |
| Family | TIPHIIDAE (a family of solitary wasps) | 3 | 4 | |
| Superfamily | FORMICOIDEA (ants) | 21 | 47 | 191 |
| Superfamily | POMPILOIDEA (spider-hunting wasps) | 3 | 3 | 26 |
| Superfamily | SPHECOIDEA (a superfamily of solitary wasps) | 11 | 4 | 139 |
| Superfamily | VESPOIDEA (wasps) | 9 | 16 | 74 |
Suggested Literature
Identification Works
| BWARS: Species accounts: http://www.bwars.com/index.php?q=species_gallery | BWARS: Species accounts |
| 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 |
General Works
| BWARS (Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society) discussion group: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/bwars/join | BWARS (Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society) discussion group |
| BWARS: Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society: http://www.bwars.com/ | BWARS: Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society |
| Dean, R., 2010 | Information Sheet 13: Bee Hotels |
| Edwards, R. & Broad, G., 2005 | Provisional atlas of the aculeate Hymenoptera of Britain & Ireland, Part 5 |
| Edwards, R. & Broad, G., 2006 | Provisional atlas of the aculeate Hymenoptera of Britain & Ireland, Part 6 |
| Edwards, R. & Telfer, M., 2001 | Provisional atlas of the aculeate Hymenoptera of Britain & Ireland, Part 3 |
| Edwards, R. & Telfer, M., 2002 | Provisional atlas of the aculeate Hymenoptera of Britain & Ireland, Part 4 |
| Edwards, R., 1997 | Provisional atlas of the aculeate Hymenoptera of Britain & Ireland, Part 1 |
| Edwards, R., 1998 | Provisional atlas of the aculeate Hymenoptera of Britain & Ireland, Part 2 |
| Falk, S., 1991 | A review of the scarce and threatened bees, wasps and ants of Great Britain |
| A glossary of Surface Sculpturing: http://antbase.org/ants/publications/harris1979.html (Microsculpture guide) | A glossary of Surface Sculpturing |
| Macdonald, M.A., in prep. | Forage, prey and host-parasite relationships of aculeates |
| Pavett, P.M., 2005 | The aculeate hymenoptera of Horton National Nature Reserve, Gower, West Wales |
Newsletters | |
| BWARS Newsletter | Journal |
Aculeata may also be covered by literature listed under:
Feeding and other inter-species relationships
Aculeata is associated with:
There may be taxa associated with Aculeata listed at higher taxonomic level
|
INSECTA (insects) |
HYMENOPTERA (bees, wasps, ants, sawflies and parasitoid wasps) |
Associated with Aculeata:
| food store | food store is kleptoparasitised by larva | Omalus puncticollis - a rubytail wasp (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) | 
|
Macdonald, M.A., in prep. |
| food store | food store is kleptoparasitised by larva |
Pseudomalus auratus - a rubytail wasp (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) |
|
Macdonald, M.A., in prep. |
| food store | food store is kleptoparasitised by larva |
Smicromyrne rufipes - Small Velvet Ant (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) |
|
Macdonald, M.A., in prep. |
| larva | larva is ectoparasitoid host of larva | Chrysis gracillima - a rubytail wasp (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) |
|
Macdonald, M.A., in prep. [small aculeates] |
| nest | nest is kleptoparasitised by larva | Miltogramma germari - a flesh fly (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) | 
|
van Emden, F.I.,, 1954 |
| nest | nest is kleptoparasitised by larva | Miltogramma punctatum - a flesh fly (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) |
|
van Emden, F.I.,, 1954 |
| nest | nest is parasitised by | Trichrysis cyanea - a rubytail wasp (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) |
|
Macdonald, M.A., in prep. |
| nest | nest is parasitised by | Myrmosa atra - Black Headed Velvet Ant (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae) |
|
Macdonald, M.A., in prep. |
Aculeata may be associated with more taxa listed at higher taxonomic level
|
ANIMALIA (animals) |
ARTHROPODA (arthropods) |
INSECTA (insects) |
HYMENOPTERA (bees, wasps, ants, sawflies and parasitoid wasps) |
| Invertebrates (via Arthropoda) |
References
| Macdonald, M.A., in prep. | Forage, prey and host-parasite relationships of aculeates |
| van Emden, F.I.,, 1954 | Diptera: Cyclorrhapha Calyptrata (I) Sect (a) Tachinidae and Calliphoridae |
