Hymenoptera Collection (page 5)

Wasp in amber
A digger wasp preserved in in Baltic amber. This specimen originates from the Upper Eocene and was donated by Arne Urup

Bee in Dominican amber
A bee, Hymenoptera: Aculeata: Apidae trapped in Dominican amber. This specimen was used to attempt DNA extraction

Social wasp in amber
A social wasp preserved in Dominican amber. Specimen dates from the Lower Miocene. Donated by Cobra and Bellamy

Bombus sp. bumble bee
Side-view mid-flight photograph of a bumble bee, photograph taken in the U.K

Memoirs sur le Termes, 1786

Bombyliidae specimens
Bee-flies from around the world, clockwise from top left: Systropus, Bombylius, Cephalopdromia and Ligyra. Adults are flower feeders, the larvae are parasitoids of other insects

Lasius niger, black garden ant
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) of a black ant leg. Widespread and common in a range of habitats but perhaps most familiar in gardens where nests are formed under paving stones and brickwork

Megascolia procer, wasp

Bombus hypnorum, bumblebee
A bumblebee perched on Lythrum salicaria, purple loosetrife, in the Natural History Museums Wildlife Garden

Dicopomorpha echmepterygis
Male specimen of Dicopomorpha echmepterygis. The smallest of the chalcidoid wasps and all known insects, this specimen is only 0.13mm long

Pollen on bee
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of pollen on a bee. If the plant depends on animals for pollination, the pollen will be relatively large and sticky

Varroa jacobsoni, honey bee mite

Stictia signata, sand wasp
Sand wasp specimen found in Bolivia. Photographed by Martin Hall

Apis mellifera, honey bee
Scanning electron microscope image of a honey bee coloured artificially by computer. The female worker caste of this species have special baskets on their legs to to take pollen back to the nest

Vespula vulgaris, common wasp

Formica rufa, wood ant
A wood ant specimen on a bright blue background. The wood ant is an active predator and inhabits woodlands and forests

Ammophila, Sand wasp and prey
A sand wasp dragging her prey, an oversized caterpillar, over the ground and back to her burrow

Pseudorhyssa sp. ichneumon fly female
A female ichneumon fly laying eggs on the parasite of a wood wasp grub

Clytus arietis, wasp beetle
A wasp beetle (Clytus arietis) visiting bramble flowers in England

Sawfly larvae devouring a leaf
A group of sawfly larvae devouring a leaf as featured on page 71 of Megabugs by Miranda MacQuitty; Natural History Museum publication, 1995

Nematus ribesii, gooseberry sawfly larvae
These caterpillars feed voraciously on gooseberry leaves, red and white currant leaves. They display distinct black spots on their green bodies and can have up to three generations within one year

Honeybee visiting a flower
A working honeybee visiting a flower and collecting pollen

Ammophila sp. sand wasp
Page 114 of Megabugs (1995) by Miranda MacQuitty. A sand wasp with her caterpillar prey

Apis sp. honeybee visiting a flower
A honeybee collecting nectar and pollen whilst visiting a garden flower

Adult gall wasp
Gall wasps are dark-coloured tiny insects only a few millimetres long. Most gall wasps form galls which are abnormal growths on a plant or tree which develop as a result of the attack

Ammophila sabulosa, sand wasp and prey
A sand wasp dragging her prey back towards her burrow. They stock their nests with the caterpillars, depositing a paralysed caterpillar in each nest and then seals it with sand

Cynipidae, adult gall wasps
Adult gall wasps inspecting an oak gall in which the parasitic wasps lay their eggs

Rhyssa wasp pupa
A pupa transforming into a female rhyssa wasp within burrow inside a piece wood

Formica rufa, wood ants
Wood ants massing outside their nest to absorb heat from the spring sunshine

Bombus sp. bumblebee visiting a flower
A bumblebee visiting an attractive garden flower, collecting nectar and adding pollen to the pollen sac shown here on its hind leg

A female parasitic wasp inspecting an oak apple which she will pierce with her ovipositor to lay her eggs

Adult gall wasps
Gall wasps are dark-coloured tiny insects only a few millimetres long. Most gall wasps form galls which are abnormal growths on a plant or tree which develop as a result of the attack

Oak apple galls
Galls growing on the tips of two oak twigs

Odontoglossum alexandrea, orchid
Illustration by Arthur Harry Church, 1907. Held in the Botany Library at the Natural History Museum, London

Sirex noctilio, wood wasp
This species was accidentally introduced into Australia 20 years ago and began to cause serious damage to plantations of softwood trees

Merops albicollis, white-throated bee-eater
Watercolour by Chloe Elizabeth Talbot Kelly (1960)

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping