CHAPTER XXII; 
Order HYMENOPTERA (Hy-me-nop'te-ra). 
Bees, Wasps, Ants , arid others. 
The members of this order have four wings; these are 
membranous , and furnished with comparatively few or with 
no transverse veins . The hind wings are smaller than the 
fore wings . The mouth-parts are formed for biting and 
sucking. The abdomen in the females is usually furnished 
with a sting, piercer , or saw. The metamorphosis is complete . 
The bees, wasps, and ants are among the better-known 
insects, and will serve to give an idea of the characteristic 
appearance of the members of this order. They are chiefly 
insects of small or moderate size, and many of them 
abound wherever flowers bloom. From the earliest times 
they have been favorites with students of the habits of ani¬ 
mals, for among them we find the most wonderful develop¬ 
ments of instinctive powers. Many volumes have been 
written regarding their ways, and much remains to be dis¬ 
covered, even concerning our most common species. 
The name of the order is from two Greek words— 
hymen , membrane, and pteron , a wing. It refers to the fact 
that the wings are of a delicate membranous texture ; but 
this characteristic is not distinctive, for it is possessed by 
the wings of many other insects. 
In the Hymenoptera the wings of each side are held to¬ 
gether by a row of hooks on the front margin of the hind 
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