Ants, Bees, and Wasps
01 Jun 2025
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Ants, Bees, and Wasps
Latin: Hymenoptera — Relevance to Fly Fishing:
Hymenoptera includes ants, bees, and wasps, insects that play vital roles in pollination, predation, and ecosystem balance.
Where you can find Ants, Bees, and Wasps
On this map you see where there were observations of Ants, Bees, and Wasps around the world. This will give you an idea of the global distribution of this class. Note that a class can have many different families, and thousands of species.
Diversity and distribution
The insect class Hymenoptera is one of the largest and most diverse groups of insects, with over 150,000 known species. This class is divided into two suborders, Symphyta and Apocrita, which are further divided into approximately 22 families and numerous genera. Some of the most well-known members of Hymenoptera include ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies.
Hymenoptera can be found in virtually every country around the world, thriving in a wide range of habitats such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, and urban environments.
Life cycles of Hymenoptera
The life cycle of Hymenoptera insects typically consists of four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The duration of each stage varies among species and can be influenced by factors such as temperature, humidity, and food availability.
After mating, female Hymenoptera lay their eggs in various substrates, depending on the species. Some lay eggs in plant tissues, while others deposit them in the nests of other insects. Upon hatching, the larvae feed voraciously, often on plant material or other insects, before entering the pupal stage. During this stage, the insect undergoes significant transformation, ultimately emerging as a fully-formed adult.
Hymenoptera and Fly Fishing
Most fly patterns are designed to imitate adult or larval stages of these insects. Some of the most popular Hymenoptera-inspired flies include:
Ant patterns: ants are a food source for many different fish species. Fly fishers can capitalize on this by using ant patterns in various sizes and colors. An ant pattern could sometimes be interpreted as a beetle pattern, or even an emerger, depending on how it's tied. This makes for an all round pattern.
Bee patterns: bees are less common as a food source for fish, but their distinct appearance can still trigger predatory instincts.
Wasp patterns: like bees, wasps are not a primary food source for fish. However, their distinct shape and coloration can make them an attractive target. Wasp patterns are typically tied with slim bodies and long wings, often using yellow, black, and white materials.
Sawfly patterns: although less common in fly fishing, sawfly larvae can be an important food source for fish in some ecosystems. Fly patterns that mimic sawfly larvae are typically tied with a green or brown body and a tapered head.
Flies that mimic species in the insect order Ants, Bees, and Wasps
There can be thousands of species within an order, and therefore lots of different flies imitating various of these species. Flies can also imitate different stages, for example larvae, pupae and adults.
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