116 CALIFORNIA STATE COMMISSION OF HORTICULTURE. 



hornets, bees, and ants. These are divided into families as follows, 

 according to Comstock's classification: 



The Stinging Hymenoptkra. Suborder Aculeata. 

 The Pelecinus. Family Pelecinidte. 

 The Cuckoo-flies. Family Chrysididae. 

 The Ants. Superfamily Formicina. 



Family Formicidee. 



Family Poneridse. 



Family Myrmicidse. 

 The Digger Wasps. Superfamily Sphecina. 



The Velvet-ants. Family Mutillidse. 



The Scoliids. Family Scoliidse. 



The Sapygids. Family Sapygidee. 



The Spider-wasps. Family Pompilidae. 



The Thread-waisted Wasps. Family Sphecidse. 



The Ampulicids. Family Ampulicidse. 



The Larrids. Family Larridse. 



The Bembecids. Family Bembecidse. 



The Nyssonids. Family Nyssonidse. 



The Philanthids. Family Philanthidse. 



The Mimesids. Family Mimesidae. 



The Mellinids. Family Mellinidae. 



The Pemphredonids. Family Pemphredonidse. 



The Crabronids. Family Crabronidse. 

 The True Wasps. Superfamily Vespina. 



The Guest Wasps. Family Masaridse. 



The Solitary Wasps. Family Eumenidse. 



The Social Wasps. Family Vespidse. 

 The Bees. Superfamily Apina. 



The Short-tongued Bees. Family Andrenidse. 



The Long-tongued Bees. Family Apidic. 



It is in this suborder that we find the fullest development of the 



social instinct. With the social bees, wasps, and ants, every interest is 



sacrificed for the good of the community. Here 



" None is for himself, 

 But all are for the state." 



None of the members of this suborder are of direct importance to us, 

 being beneficial only incidentally. The wasps are all predaceous, many 

 of them preying upon the larvae of injurious species, while the work of 

 the bees is too well known to need enlargement in these pages. Prob- 

 ably we owe more to this group for their work in the pollenization of 

 plants and fruits, perhaps in the cross-fertilization of species — hybrid- 

 ization — and probably even the prodviction of new species, than for any 



