List of hymenopterans of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of India. The invertebrate fauna is as large as it is common to other regions of the world. There are about 2 million species of arthropods found in the world, and still it is counting. So many new species are discover up to this time also. So it is very complicated and difficult to summarize the exact number of species found within a certain region.

This a list of the hymenopterans found from Sri Lanka.

Hymenoptera

Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera

Hymenoptera is a large order containing an estimated 1,500,000 species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawfly. Females of hymenopterans possess a special ovipositor, which is used for inserting eggs into hosts or other surfaces safely. In some groups, this ovipositor is modified into a stinger, which is used primarily for defense purposes. Hymenopterans show a complete metamorphosis, where they have a worm-like larval stage and an inactive pupal stage before they mature. All hymenopterans are typically divided into two suborders. Those who have a narrow waist are categorized into suborder Apocrita, whereas those who absent a waist into suborder Symphyta. Wasps, bees, and ants are belong to Apocrita. Sawflies, horntails, and parasitic wood wasps are belong to Symphyta.

Bees are the primary pollinators of terrestrial flowering plants. The hairs within its body helps to function as efficient pollinators. The highest bee diversity is confined to warm temperate regions of the world. There are about 70,000 bee species described in the world with nearly 450 genera and 7 families. Out of them, Sri Lanka comprises 149 species included to 38 genera and 4 families. The bee researches are extensively carried out by Dr. Inoka Karunaratne et. al. from University of Sri Lanka.