Vespoidea

Definition

A superfamily of stinging wasps in the order Hymenoptera, encompassing a diverse assemblage of eusocial, social, and solitary species. Vespoidea includes ants (Formicidae), social and solitary wasps (Vespidae, Eumenidae, and allies), and related groups characterized by a constricted petiole (wasp waist), two pairs of membranous wings with reduced venation, and typically predatory or parasitoid larval provisioning. Members exhibit a broad spectrum of life histories: eusocial colony formation in yellowjackets and hornets, complex caste systems in ants, and solitary nest construction with paralyzed prey in potter and mason wasps.

Etymology

From Latin vespa 'wasp' + -oidea (superfamily suffix), denoting the wasp superfamily.

Example

The potter wasp Eumenes fraternus, a member of Vespoidea, constructs small clay urns attached to twigs, provisioning each with paralyzed caterpillars before sealing the entrance with a mud plug.

Related Terms

• Apoidea
• Formicidae
• Vespidae
• Eumenidae
• Hymenoptera
• petiole
• eusociality
• Aculeate

Usage Notes

Vespoidea is paraphyletic with respect to Apoidea (bees) in some historical classifications; modern phylogenomic studies have reshuffled relationships, with some authorities placing ants within a revised Vespiformes or treating Vespoidea as a narrower crown group. The term remains common in field guides and regional faunas for the wasp-ant assemblage excluding bees. Contrast with Apoidea: both are aculeate Hymenoptera, but Apoidea possess branched body hairs and pollen-collecting adaptations absent in Vespoidea.