Order Hymenoptera (sawflies, ichneumonids, gall- forming chalcids, ants, wasps and bees).

325. SAWFLIES, many species. Larvae should be collected from infested leaves, killed by boiling or in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) and preserved in alcohol. Adults can be reared or collected from flowers using a net, killed in a toxin-containing jar or by freezing, and mounted on insect pins.

326. ICHNEUMONS, Megarhyssa macrurus (Linnaeus) and others. Adult wasps can occasionally be found in the spring (March), attached to the trunk on a dead tree with their long ovipositor. Adults can be collected from trunks by allowing them first to remove their ovipositor from the trunk and then collecting them in a bag or jar. They can be killed by freezing or in a jar containing toxic fumes (e.g., ethyl acetate) before mounting them on insect pins.

329. PARASITIC WASPS, many species. Parasitic wasps are usually collected by rearing parasitized host insects and allowing the parasitoids to emerge. A number of parasitic wasp species are commercially available from insectaries and are purchased and released in augmentative biological control programs. Other species have been imported from other countries from which pests have been accidentally introduced without their natural enemies and released to reintroduce the natural enemy with its host, a practice called importation or “classical” biological control and which occasionally results in sustained suppression.

330. MEALY OAK GALL WASP, Disholcaspis cinerosa (Bassett). Larvae can be dissected from galls and killed in KAAD and stored in alcohol. Adults can be reared from galls pruned from trees and placed in plastic bags when larval development is completed. After they emerge and die, they can be glued onto card points mounted on insect pins. Galls should be stored dry in a box or a piece of infested twig can be mounted on an insect pin.

331-333. CICADA-KILLER, Sphecius speciosus (Drury). Adults are best collected in an aerial net and carefully removed into a killing jar. Adults can be mounted on an insect pin. Immature stages must be excavated from nesting burrows and preserved in alcohol or other suitable fluid.

334-337. MUD DAUBERS AND POTTER WASPS, many species. Female wasps do not defend their nests, so nests can be scraped off surfaces and dissected to reveal larval or pupal stages and food stores. Immature stages can be preserved in alcohol. Adults are best collected in aerial nets from flowers, killed by freezing or in a jar containing a toxicant and then mounted on insect pins.

338. LEAFCUTTING BEES, Megachile species and others. Artificial nesting sites can be made by drilling holes of various diameters in the junction between two boards clamped together. After bees colonize holes they select, the boards can be separated periodically to observe the cells and development of immatures. Alfalfa leafcutting bee colonies are made by filling open boxes with wide soda straws and setting them on one side. Immature stages can be dissected from nesting cells and preserved in alcohol. Adult leafcutting bees can be reared or collected from flowers using a net. They can be killed by heat, freezing or in a jar containing toxic fumes (e.g., ethyl acetate) before being mounted on insect pins.

339. CARPENTER BEES, Xylocopa spp.

340. BUMBLE BEES, Bombus spp. Adult foraging workers can be collected using an aerial net and killed using heat, freezing or killing jar and then mounting them on insect pins.

341-343. HONEY BEE, Apis mellifera Linnaeus. Adult bees should be killed with heat, cold or with toxic fumes. They should generally not be stored in alcohol because this dirties the hairs on the bees. However, when samples are sent for identification of Africanized honey bees, samples of about 30 worker bees in alcohol are acceptable since identification to subspecies is based largely on average wing venation pattern and size. Immatures can be preserved in alcohol. In Texas, all stages are usually present year round in a colony. Handle bees with care and use a bee suit for protection if possible especially when handling colonies. “Smokers” are used to puff whiffs of smoke into the hive which tends to calm the bees.

344, 345. RED VELVET-ANT OR “COW KILLER”, Dasymutilla occidentalis (Linnaeus). Adult females can be collected in a jar or similar container, taking care not to get stung. They can be killed and mounted on insect pins, never stored in alcohol since it damages their hair.

346, 347. BALDFACED HORNET, Dolichovespula maculata (Linnaeus). Bald-faced hornet nests are best left alone. Professional pest control operators can be called to treat and remove large nests. Foraging adult females may be collected from plants using an insect net. They can be killed (by freezing or in a jar containing a toxicant) and then mounted on insect pins.

348-350. PAPER WASPS, Polistes spp. Wasps are dangerous and should be collected with care. Individual wasps are easily collected from flowers, particularly from goldenrod in late fall, using an aerial net. They should be placed in a jar and killed using a toxicant (e.g. ethyl acetate) or by freezing. They can then be mounted on an insect pin, taking care to avoid the stinger. Paper wasp nests can be dislodged from eaves using sprays of high pressure water from a good distance, taking precautions not to allow wasps to attack nearby people or pets. Wasps will eventually abandon the nest. Developmental stages in the nest can be dissected from cells, killed in a preservative fluid (e.g. KAAD) or boiled and preserved in alcohol.

351, 352. SOUTHERN YELLOWJACKET, Vespula squamosa (Drury). Foraging workers can be collected in butterfly nets and carefully be removed without getting stung into a killing jar (containing ethyl acetate, or putting jar in a freezer or sunlight). Wasp traps are also commercially available. Specimens are then mounted on insect pins. Nests located should be killed and removed by a pest control operator or other trained individual. Larvae can be killed in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) or boiled in water, and then preserved in alcohol.

353-355. TEXAS LEAFCUTTING ANT, Atta texana (Buckley). Ants can be preserved and stored in alcohol or killed and mounted on insect pins.

356, 357. CARPENTER ANTS, Camponotus spp. All stages of ants can be preserved in alcohol. Winged reproductives and larger workers can also be killed and mounted on an insect pin.

358-360. PHARAOH ANTS, Monomorium pharaonis (Linnaeus). Foraging worker ants can be attracted to bait stations using mint apple jelly or other food source. Collect and preserve in alcohol; adults can be glued to card points mounted on insect pins.

361. RED HARVESTER ANT, Pogonymyrmex barbatus Smith. Collect with forceps or in pit fall trap and store in alcohol; adults can be glued to card points mounted on insect pins.

362, 363. RED IMPORTED FIRE ANT, Solenopsis invicta Buren. Fire ants can be collected and stored in alcohol. Place either a jar with inner surfaces dusted with talcum (baby) powder (for live worker ants) or a alcohol-filled vial (for dead worker ants) in the top of a mound and allowing ants to run up the sides of the vial and into the jar or vial. Care must be taken not to be stung by wearing rubber gloves and boots while collecting. Ants can be prevented from crawling up vertical surfaces by coating these them with talcum powder (see FAPFS008).

Order Hymenoptera (sawflies, ichneumonids, gall- forming chalcids, ants, wasps and bees).

325. SAWFLIES, many species. Larvae should be collected from infested leaves, killed by boiling or in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) and preserved in alcohol. Adults can be reared or collected from flowers using a net, killed in a toxin-containing jar or by freezing, and mounted on insect pins.

326. ICHNEUMONS, Megarhyssa macrurus (Linnaeus) and others. Adult wasps can occasionally be found in the spring (March), attached to the trunk on a dead tree with their long ovipositor. Adults can be collected from trunks by allowing them first to remove their ovipositor from the trunk and then collecting them in a bag or jar. They can be killed by freezing or in a jar containing toxic fumes (e.g., ethyl acetate) before mounting them on insect pins.

329. PARASITIC WASPS, many species. Parasitic wasps are usually collected by rearing parasitized host insects and allowing the parasitoids to emerge. A number of parasitic wasp species are commercially available from insectaries and are purchased and released in augmentative biological control programs. Other species have been imported from other countries from which pests have been accidentally introduced without their natural enemies and released to reintroduce the natural enemy with its host, a practice called importation or “classical” biological control and which occasionally results in sustained suppression.

330. MEALY OAK GALL WASP, Disholcaspis cinerosa (Bassett). Larvae can be dissected from galls and killed in KAAD and stored in alcohol. Adults can be reared from galls pruned from trees and placed in plastic bags when larval development is completed. After they emerge and die, they can be glued onto card points mounted on insect pins. Galls should be stored dry in a box or a piece of infested twig can be mounted on an insect pin.

331-333. CICADA-KILLER, Sphecius speciosus (Drury). Adults are best collected in an aerial net and carefully removed into a killing jar. Adults can be mounted on an insect pin. Immature stages must be excavated from nesting burrows and preserved in alcohol or other suitable fluid.

334-337. MUD DAUBERS AND POTTER WASPS, many species. Female wasps do not defend their nests, so nests can be scraped off surfaces and dissected to reveal larval or pupal stages and food stores. Immature stages can be preserved in alcohol. Adults are best collected in aerial nets from flowers, killed by freezing or in a jar containing a toxicant and then mounted on insect pins.

338. LEAFCUTTING BEES, Megachile species and others. Artificial nesting sites can be made by drilling holes of various diameters in the junction between two boards clamped together. After bees colonize holes they select, the boards can be separated periodically to observe the cells and development of immatures. Alfalfa leafcutting bee colonies are made by filling open boxes with wide soda straws and setting them on one side. Immature stages can be dissected from nesting cells and preserved in alcohol. Adult leafcutting bees can be reared or collected from flowers using a net. They can be killed by heat, freezing or in a jar containing toxic fumes (e.g., ethyl acetate) before being mounted on insect pins.

339. CARPENTER BEES, Xylocopa spp.

340. BUMBLE BEES, Bombus spp. Adult foraging workers can be collected using an aerial net and killed using heat, freezing or killing jar and then mounting them on insect pins.

341-343. HONEY BEE, Apis mellifera Linnaeus. Adult bees should be killed with heat, cold or with toxic fumes. They should generally not be stored in alcohol because this dirties the hairs on the bees. However, when samples are sent for identification of Africanized honey bees, samples of about 30 worker bees in alcohol are acceptable since identification to subspecies is based largely on average wing venation pattern and size. Immatures can be preserved in alcohol. In Texas, all stages are usually present year round in a colony. Handle bees with care and use a bee suit for protection if possible especially when handling colonies. “Smokers” are used to puff whiffs of smoke into the hive which tends to calm the bees.

344, 345. RED VELVET-ANT OR “COW KILLER”, Dasymutilla occidentalis (Linnaeus). Adult females can be collected in a jar or similar container, taking care not to get stung. They can be killed and mounted on insect pins, never stored in alcohol since it damages their hair.

346, 347. BALDFACED HORNET, Dolichovespula maculata (Linnaeus). Bald-faced hornet nests are best left alone. Professional pest control operators can be called to treat and remove large nests. Foraging adult females may be collected from plants using an insect net. They can be killed (by freezing or in a jar containing a toxicant) and then mounted on insect pins.

348-350. PAPER WASPS, Polistes spp. Wasps are dangerous and should be collected with care. Individual wasps are easily collected from flowers, particularly from goldenrod in late fall, using an aerial net. They should be placed in a jar and killed using a toxicant (e.g. ethyl acetate) or by freezing. They can then be mounted on an insect pin, taking care to avoid the stinger. Paper wasp nests can be dislodged from eaves using sprays of high pressure water from a good distance, taking precautions not to allow wasps to attack nearby people or pets. Wasps will eventually abandon the nest. Developmental stages in the nest can be dissected from cells, killed in a preservative fluid (e.g. KAAD) or boiled and preserved in alcohol.

351, 352. SOUTHERN YELLOWJACKET, Vespula squamosa (Drury). Foraging workers can be collected in butterfly nets and carefully be removed without getting stung into a killing jar (containing ethyl acetate, or putting jar in a freezer or sunlight). Wasp traps are also commercially available. Specimens are then mounted on insect pins. Nests located should be killed and removed by a pest control operator or other trained individual. Larvae can be killed in a preservative fluid (e.g., KAAD) or boiled in water, and then preserved in alcohol.

353-355. TEXAS LEAFCUTTING ANT, Atta texana (Buckley). Ants can be preserved and stored in alcohol or killed and mounted on insect pins.

356, 357. CARPENTER ANTS, Camponotus spp. All stages of ants can be preserved in alcohol. Winged reproductives and larger workers can also be killed and mounted on an insect pin.

358-360. PHARAOH ANTS, Monomorium pharaonis (Linnaeus). Foraging worker ants can be attracted to bait stations using mint apple jelly or other food source. Collect and preserve in alcohol; adults can be glued to card points mounted on insect pins.

361. RED HARVESTER ANT, Pogonymyrmex barbatus Smith. Collect with forceps or in pit fall trap and store in alcohol; adults can be glued to card points mounted on insect pins.

362, 363. RED IMPORTED FIRE ANT, Solenopsis invicta Buren. Fire ants can be collected and stored in alcohol. Place either a jar with inner surfaces dusted with talcum (baby) powder (for live worker ants) or a alcohol-filled vial (for dead worker ants) in the top of a mound and allowing ants to run up the sides of the vial and into the jar or vial. Care must be taken not to be stung by wearing rubber gloves and boots while collecting. Ants can be prevented from crawling up vertical surfaces by coating these them with talcum powder (see FAPFS008).