Superfamilies Vespoidea and Sphecoidea
Wasps are a quite a complex category and like Bees also include social and solitary species. There are also categories of wasps that have been debated if they belong in the families that make up wasps or are part of the Apoidea family that is made up of bees. In this resource we are going to categorize them as a type of wasp.
Sphecoidea
The Sphecoidea classification includes over 10,000 species of Wasps including
- Mud Daubers
- Digger wasps
- Sand Wasps
- Cicada Killers
- and Cockroach Wasps The larvae of these wasp are carnivorous and will consume prey brought in to an underground nest that has been caught and typically paralyzed with venom by the adult female.
Parasitic wasps (division parasitica)
The category of parasitic wasps has over 200,000 different species including fig wasps, and gall wasps. Many of these species are black and yellow, with transparent wings, and are very small, averaging around 1.5 millimeters in length. Most of the larvae are parasitic to other insects and adult will feed on plant nectar.
Hunting wasps (Vespidae)
These categorization of wasps can be either social or solitary but all catch their prey by stinging or paralyzing them. this group includes yellowjackets, hornets, and paper wasps, as well as other solitary species. There are about 5000 species of social wasps in the world, and most of them are fairly large. Like some Bees, a colony typically includes a queen and a number of sterile female workers. Dissimilarly, their nests are made of plant fibers, chewed into a paper-like substance. Hence, the name Paper Wasps.