Vespoidea

The Vespoidea is a superfamily within the Order Hymenoptera. The Vespoidea contains well known insects such as the social wasps and ants as well as less well known insects such as solitary wasps.

Solitary wasps often build cells in the earth, in hollow plant stems or old beetle borings, to lay their eggs. They fill these cells up with the larva's preferred prey (for example, caterpillars or spiders). They actively hunt for the prey and sting them with venom. This will paralyse, but not kill, the victim and keep it fresh for their young.

Potter wasps, like this Eumenid wasp, can build extensive clay structures.
Photograph by Wofl licensed under Creative Commons.

Other names for (or types of) Vespoidea include:

• Wasp

Related terms

• Apoidea
• Formicidae
• Venom
• Vespidae

Related pages on this web site

• Ants
• Bees, Wasps and Ants - Order Hymenoptera
• Social wasps
• Wasps, Ants and their relatives

See other words beginning with V