Aculeata of New Zealand
| This website provides a brief directory for diagnostic information and updates of scientific publications relating to Aculeata for New Zealand. |
The Aculeata is a monophyletic group composed of ants, bees, social wasps, and a number of other smaller groups. They are characterised by the modification of the ovipositor into a sting. Other Hymenoptera deposit their eggs via an ovipositor, but in Aculeata eggs are laid from the base of their sting and the ovipositor is used instead to inject venom into prey and for defence.
Aculeata are very poorly represented in New Zealand, with 65 genera and 135 species. Half of these species (and half of the genera) have become accidentally introduced through human trade, or a few (7) have been introduced for pollination.
However, the aculeates are among the best known Hymenoptera in New Zealand, with species-level revisions of the Pompilidae (Harris 1987), Sphecidae (includes Crabronidae) (Harris 1994), Dryinidae (Olmi 2007), and the Apoidea (Donovan 2007). Excellent information is also available on the ants from Don (2007) and ants and social wasps via the Landcare Research Invasive Invertebrate group.
These families can be identified using Ward & Early (2010). Guide to the family-level identification of Hymenoptera in New Zealand v1.0. Online LUCID Phoenix key.
New Zealand Aculeata groups
Superfamily |
Family |
Common names |
Key reference(s) for identification |
| CHRYSIDOIDEA | SCOLEBYTHIDAE | ||
| DRYINIDAE | Olmi 2007 | ||
| EMBOLEMIDAE | Olmi 2007 | ||
| BETHYLIDAE | Sorg & Walker 1989; Goulet & Huber 1993; Gordh & Harris 1996; Berry 1998; Terayama 2003; Lanes & Azevedo 2008 | ||
| VESPOIDEA | MUTILLIDAE | velvet ants | |
| SCOLIIDAE | scoliid wasps | ||
| FORMICIDAE | ants | Don 2007; Key to the ants of New Zealand | |
| POMPILIDAE | spider-hunting wasps | Harris 1987 | |
| VESPIDAE | social wasps | Wasp identification | |
| APOIDEA | SPHECIDAE | digger wasps | Harris 1994 |
| CRABRONIDAE | mason wasp, square- headed wasp, black cockroach hunter | Harris 1994 | |
| APIDAE | honeybee, bumblebees | Donovan 2007 | |
| COLLETIDAE | plasterer bees | Donovan 2007 | |
| HALICTIDAE | sweat bees | Donovan 2007 | |
| MEGACHILIDAE | leafcutter bees | Donovan 2007 |
References for identification
Berry JA 1998: The bethyline species (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae: Bethylinae) imported into New Zealand for biological control of pest leafrollers. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 25: 329–333.
Don W 2007. Ants of New Zealand. Dunedin, Otago University Press.
Donovan BJ 2007. Apoidea (Hymenoptera). Fauna of New Zealand 57. Lincoln, Manaaki Whenua Press. 295 p.
Gordh G, Harris A 1996. New records and a new species of Eupsenella (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) in New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 26: 529–536.
Goulet H, Huber JT 1993. Hymenoptera of the World: An identification guide to families. Agriculture Canada. P. 668.
Harris AC 1987. Pompilidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Fauna of New Zealand 12: 1–160.
Harris AC 1994: Sphecidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Fauna of New Zealand 32: 1–111.
Lanes GO, Azevedo CO 2008. Phylogeny and taxonomy of Sclerodermini (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae, Epyrinae). Insect Systematics & Evolution 39: 55–86.
Olmi M 2007. New Zealand Dryinidae and Embolemidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea): new records and description of Bocchus thorpei new species. Records of the Auckland Museum 44: 5–16.
Sorg M, Walker AK 1989. A new species of bethylid wasp (Hymenoptera) from New Zealand, with comments on its life history and host. Journal of Natural History 22: 1483–1488.
Terayama M 2003. Phylogenetic systematics of the Family Bethylidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) Part II. Keys to subfamilies, tribes and genera in the world. The Academic Reports of the Faculty of Engineering of Tokyo Polytechnic University 26(1): 16–29.
Funding
This work has been funded by a number of grants, including: the New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science and Technology through backbone funding of the 'Defining New Zealand’s Land Biota' programme; Invasive ant and wasp programme (FRST C09X0507) and Landcare Research capability funding.
Primary Contact:
 | Darren Ward Email  |
Landcare Research | |
Phone: +64 9 574 4100 |