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They are most diverse in desert regions of the world, as they are typically associated with solitary bee and wasp species, which are also most diverse in such areas. Their brood parasitic lifestyle has led to the evolution of fascinating adaptations, including chemical mimicry of host odors by some species.
The wasps, bees, and ants together make up the suborder (and clade) Apocrita, characterized by a constriction between the first and second abdominal segments called a wasp-waist , also involving the fusion of the first abdominal segment to the thorax. Also, the larvae of all Apocrita lack legs, prolegs, or ocelli.
They are a successful and diverse group of insects with tens of thousands of described species; wasps have spread to all parts of the world except for the polar regions. The largest social wasp is the Asian giant hornet , at up to 5 centimetres (2.0 in) in length; among the largest solitary wasps is a group of species known as tarantula hawks ...
The Vespidae are a large (nearly 5000 species), diverse, cosmopolitan family of wasps, including nearly all the known eusocial wasps (such as Polistes fuscatus, Vespa orientalis, and Vespula germanica) and many solitary wasps. [1]
The extinct family of Armaniidae also was formerly considered to be a group of "ant-like wasps" and was also classified under Vespoidea. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] However, additional work by Borysenko in 2017 found these species to be basal members of Formicidae , placing three genera under Sphecomyrminae and considering the rest incertae sedis .
Sceliphron curvatum, also known as the Asian mud-dauber wasp, is an insect in the genus Sceliphron of the wasp family Sphecidae. Like all wasps of this genus, it is a solitary species and builds nests out of mud. S. curvatum is native to some regions of Asia and invasive to Europe.
Vespula squamosa, or the southern yellowjacket, is a social wasp.This species can be identified by its distinctive black and yellow patterning and orange queen. [1] This species is typically found in eastern North America, and its territory extends as far south as Central America. [1]
Vespula vulgaris, known as the common wasp, is a species found in regions that include the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, India, China, New Zealand [1] and Australia. It is sometimes known in English as the European wasp, but the same name is used for the species Vespula germanica or German wasp.