Image Gallery: Sawflies, ants, bees and wasps

Sawflies (Suborder Symphyta) and ants, bees and wasps (Suborder Apocrita) all belong to the insect Order Hymenoptera. Some species have one pair of wings (unlike flies, which have two pairs), others are wingless, some are solitary and some are colonial, building large nests. Many have interesting shapes, colours and patterns that help to identify them, while others are cleverly camouflaged or mimic their insect prey.

European wasp specimen European wasp specimen
Funnel Ant nest entrances Funnel Ant nest entrances
Funnel Ant walking along leaf Funnel Ant walking along leaf
Golden-spined Ant Golden-spined Ant
Green-head Ant Green-head Ant
Hatchet Wasp Hatchet Wasp
Head of a Bull Ant Myrmecia sp Head of a Bull Ant Myrmecia sp
Honey Bee Apis mellifera Honey Bee Apis mellifera
Leafcutter Bee Megachile sp Leafcutter Bee Megachile sp
Leafcutter bee, covered in pollen Leafcutter bee, covered in pollen
Leafcutter Bee, cutting a leaf Leafcutter Bee, cutting a leaf
Masked Bee Specimen Masked Bee Specimen
Masked Bee specimen from front Masked Bee specimen from front
Masked Bee specimen from side Masked Bee specimen from side
Mud-dauber wasp placing spider in nest Mud-dauber wasp placing spider in nest
Mud-dauber wasp, Sceliphron sp. Mud-dauber wasp, Sceliphron sp.
Paper wasp nest Paper wasp nest
Asian Paper Wasp, Polistes chinensis Asian Paper Wasp, Polistes chinensis
Paper wasps on nest under leaf Paper wasps on nest under leaf
Peacock Carpenter Bee specimen Peacock Carpenter Bee specimen