Hymenoptera

noun plural

Hy·​me·​nop·​tera ˌhī-mə-ˈnäp-tə-rə How to pronounce Hymenoptera (audio)
: an order of highly specialized insects with complete metamorphosis that include the bees, wasps, ants, ichneumon flies, sawflies, gall wasps, and related forms, that often associate in large colonies with complex social organization, and that have usually four membranous wings and the abdomen generally borne on a slender pedicel

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Cite this Entry

“Hymenoptera.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/Hymenoptera. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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