There are 91 different families of ants, bees and wasps worldwide, consisting of more than 100 000 species. In Australia 71 of these families occur with close to 15 000 different species present. The Hymenoptera are divided into 2 suborders. Most species are classified into families in the larger Apocrita suborder and only the sawflies in the smaller suborder of Symphyta. Follow the links below to find out more about the different families of ants, bees and wasps. Those in bold represent those families present in Australia.

SYMPHYTA
Xyelidae
Megalodontidae
Pamphiliidae
Cephidae
Anaxyelidae
Xiphydriidae
Siricidae
Orussidae
Tenthredinidae
Blasticotomidae
Cimbicidae
Diprionidae
     
APOCRITA
Stephanidae
Trigonalyidae
Megalyridae
Ceraphronidae
Megaspilidae
Evaniidae
Aulacidae
Gasteruptiidae
Apozygidae
Monomachidae
Diapriidae
Heloridae
Peradeniidae
Austroniidae
Proctotrupidae
Vanhorniidae
Pelecinidae
Roproniidae
Platygasteridae
Scelionidae
Ibaliidae
Liopteridae
Figitidae
Cynipidae
Charipidae
Eucoilidae
Mymarommatidae
Chalcididae
Leucospidae
Eurytomidae
Torymidae
Ormyridae
Agaonidae
Pteromalidae
Perilampidae
Eucharitidae
Eupelmidae
Tanaostigmatidae
Encyrtidae
Aphelinidae
Signiphoridae
Tetracampidae
Rotoitidae
Eulophidae
Elasmidae
Trichogrammatidae
Mymaridae
Plumariidae
Scolebythidae
Sclerogibbidae
Embolemidae
Dryinidae
Bethylidae
Sapygidae
Sierolomorphidae
Bradynobaenidae
Rhopalosomatidae
Mutillidae
Tiphiidae
Scoliidae
Colletidae
Stenotritidae
Halictidae
Andrenidae
Melittidae
Oxaeidae
Ctenoplectridae
Megachilidae
Anthophoridae

For ants, bees and wasp species visit the Australian Insect Common Names - Hymenoptera section found here.

     

 

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