Wasp species in the insect family Mutillidae are commonly known as velvet ants. These insects resemble ants since they do not have wings. Velvet ants have bright red or orange fur on their bodies. Contrary to ants, velvet ant wasps do not have the same social structures -- queens, drones and workers. These wasps have powerful stinging capabilities. Velvet ants have been nicknamed "cow killers," due to their painful sting.
Hive wasps are wasp species in the Vespidae insect family. This genus includes the most common wasp species in North America such as yellow jackets, paper wasps and hornets. All Vespidae wasps live in large above-ground or underground hive colonies. Underground hives usually occur in burrows, while wasps attach above-ground hives on buildings and trees. Vespidae wasps are highly social insects. The hives are built to protect the colony's queen, who is responsible for laying eggs. Eggs and larvae also stay within the confines of the hive.
Wasps with metallic blue and green coloration are cuckoo wasps. These wasps are members of the Chrysididae family of insects. Cuckoo wasps also have curved abdomens which allows them to curl up into balls for defense. Female cuckoo wasps lay their eggs inside the nest of a wasp or bee; the larvae of the cuckoo wasp preys on the larvae in the host's nest. This wasp species primarily dwells in desert regions.
The Pompilidae insect family are also known as spider wasps. These wasps receive their name from the chief item on their diet, spiders. Spider wasps use their stingers to paralyze spiders. Once the venom takes effect, spider wasps drag the arachnids away from their web. Spider wasps also use the carcasses of of their prey to lay their eggs; the wasp larvae feed on the remains of the spider. The spider wasp is a solitary insect. Sometimes female spider wasps only lay a single egg within a spider.
As their names suggest, fig wasps are responsible for pollinating fig trees. The fig tree pollination begins when the wasp flies to the tree's fruit; a fig is the stem for tiny flowers within the fruit. Fig wasps access the flowers by entering a small hole at the end of the fruit. These wasps pollinate the flowers once they are in the fruit and lay their eggs inside the fig. The fig wasp is one of the smallest wasps in the world. Fig wasps belong to the insect family Agaonidae.