Vespoidea

Common Wasp ( Vespula vulgaris)

The superfamily Vespoidea belongs to the order of the Hymenoptera ( Hymenoptera). Together with the Apoidea and the Chrysidoidea it forms part of the order of Stechimmen ( Aculeata ). It comprises 10 families with about 24,000 species. It includes well-known representatives such as wasps ( Vespidae ) and ants ( Formicidae ).

Features

So far, the group seems to lack a common solid synapomorphy. Mainly the Vespoidea be characterized by the regressed Praepectus, the scope of the involution is pronounced differently within the Vespoidea. The Praepectus is the sclerite, of the thorax lies between the lateral part of the pronotum and the Mesopleuron side.

Way of life

The social behavior within the Vespoidea covers the entire spectrum of a solitary through to the eusocial lifestyle.

There are species that show a simple foraging behavior, to feed their brood. Other species are parasitic - the expression ranges from Ektoparasitismus to unstunned host animals to hunting on host animals stunned by the Capture provided the breeding available.

Extremely diverse is also the nesting. Some species use existing cavities, others build complex multicellular paper nests out of chewed cellulose.

System

The superfamily of Vespoidea comprises 10 families. The phylogenetic relationships of the families meet the following cladogram:

Roll wasps ( Tiphiidae )

Club Wasps ( Sapygidae )

Ants wasps ( Mutillidae )

Wegwespen ( Pompilidae )

Rhopalosomatidae

Bradynobaenidae

Ants ( Formicidae )

Wasps ( Vespidae )

Dagger wasps ( Scoliidae )

Sierolomorphidae

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