• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

• Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

• Insects (Class Insecta)

• Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

• Wasps (Order Hymenoptera)

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Order Hymenoptera comprises the ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies, one of the largest and most ecologically important orders of insects, containing more than 160,000 described species. They occupy virtually every terrestrial habitat, including forests, grasslands, deserts, wetlands, agricultural lands, and urban environments. Hymenopterans are characterized by two pairs of membranous wings (although many ants are wingless as adults), chewing or chewing-lapping mouthparts, and in most wasps, bees, and ants, a narrow constriction or "wasp waist" between the thorax and abdomen. Many species possess an ovipositor that has evolved into a stinger for defence or prey capture.