Ants, Bees, and Wasps The insects of order Hymenoptera are widespread, diverse, and easy to observe. Over 150,000 species have been described by scientists worldwide! This page shows an assortment of native ants and wasps (suborder Apocrita) from deserts of the southwest. Fun fact: New Mexico’s state insect is the tarantula hawk wasp. With over 1,000 species of bees in Arizona and New Mexico, those amazing pollinators get their own page: Native Bees Not all wasps are hairy enough to pollinate, but many visit flowers for nectar and pollen and all are important members of a healthy ecosystem. Worried about stings? If you avoid their nests and observe from a respectful distance, female wasps will not go out of their way to attack and male wasps have no stingers at all.Please enjoy this visual guide and explore the links under the pictures. It is a work in progress to provide information and examples of the thousands of species of wasps in our area. Thank you for visiting!Note: Uncredited pictures are my own and available for use with appropriate credit © Elliott GordonParasitic and Gall-forming WaspsBraconid wasp Ichneumonid wasp © Andrew Meeds on iNaturalist.org Ichneumonid wasp © Sam Kieschnick on iNaturalist.orgBraconid wasp Chalcidoid wasp Chalcidoid wasp © Jake Nitta on iNaturalist.orgCynipid wasp © jcowles on iNaturalist.org Oak gall © Jared Shorma on iNaturalist.org Inside of oak gallAnts, Velvet Ants, and Flower WaspsAnts, in the family Formicidae, are predators or scavengers, and have a sweet tooth, sometimes gathering nectar or fruit juice for their sugar content. Winged reproductives, also called alates, typically leave the nest in spring and early summer. [Source]Flower wasps, in the family Tiphiidae, are solitary wasps whose larvae are parasitoids of various beetle larvae. [Source]Velvet ants, in the family Mutillidae, are parasitoids of immature insects, esp. bees and solitary wasps (also flies, limacodid moths, beetles, and cockroaches). Females are wingless, tend to be more active in cool weather or at dawn and dusk, and are well known for an intense sting. [Source]White-haired (female) velvet ant © Benjamin Clayton on iNaturalist.org Dasymutilla (female) velvet ant © Joe Girgente on iNaturalist.org Paratiphia flower wasp © Nathan Redecker on iNaturalist.orgThese 3 different families of Hymenoptera occasionally look quite similar:Brachycistidinae flower wasp © Russell Pfau on iNaturalist.org Harvester ant © Tom Kennedy on iNaturalist.org ‘Nocturnal velvet ant’ © Joe Girgente on iNaturalist.orgPaper, Pollen, and Potter Wasps and Yellow JacketsEuropean paper wasp Pseudomasaris pollen wasp Ancistrocerus potter/mason waspScoliid and Thynnid WaspsTwo-spotted Scoliid, Scolia dubia dubia Scolia nobilitata Banded Thynnid Wasp © James Bailey on iNaturalist.orgThread-waisted Wasps and Mud DaubersTrypoxylon wasp on sunflower leaf Yellow-legged Mud-dauber by Katja Schulz on iNaturalist.org Sphex lucae © Sam Hough on iNaturalist.orgSand Wasps and Cicada KillersSand wasp, subtribe Stictiellina, on Oregano flowers Eastern Cicada-killer © bobnieman on iNaturalist.org Sand-loving Tachytes © hmac73 on iNaturalist.orgWeevil Wasps and Bee WolvesCerceris convergens weevil wasp on sunflower plant Hump-backed Beewolf looking head on Clypeadon wasp © Jared Shorma on iNaturalist.orgCuckoo and Spider Wasps Chrysid wasp by Julie Stromberg on Flickr Pepsis tarantula hawk Tachypompilus red spider wasp © Andrew Meeds on iNaturalist.orgRelated PostsNative BeesDateJanuary 26, 2022InsectsDateDecember 26, 2021Catclaw AcaciaDateJanuary 6, 2023Share this:FacebookXWhatsAppPinterestRedditPrintLike this:Like Loading...