Britannica Sources used in this answer

Which insects belong to the order Hymenoptera?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Bumblebee pollination — Hymenoptera An endangered rusty patched bumblebee (*Bombus affinis*) browsing on a wild bergamot flower.

The order Hymenoptera is one of the largest and most ecologically significant groups of insects, comprising over 150,000 described species. These insects are categorized into two primary suborders:1

Suborder Apocrita

This group includes the most familiar Hymenopterans, characterized by a narrow "waist" between the thorax and abdomen. It encompasses:1
* Ants: Including carpenter ants, fire ants, and leafcutter ants.2
* Bees: Such as honeybees, bumblebees, and mason bees.2
* Wasps: Including hornets, paper wasps, yellow jackets, and various parasitic forms like ichneumon wasps and chalcid wasps.12

Suborder Symphyta

Unlike the Apocrita, these insects lack a constricted waist. This suborder primarily consists of:1
* Sawflies: A diverse group of plant-feeding insects.12
* Horntails: Also known as wood wasps.12

Hymenopterans are vital to global ecosystems, serving as essential pollinators for flowering plants and acting as natural parasites that help control populations of other insects.1