What is the etymological meaning of the term “hymenopteran”?
- An insect equipped with a sting connected to a venom sac.
- An insect strictly specialised in pollination.
- An insect with membranous wings.
- An insect divided by a “wasp waist”.
Show answer
Correct answer: 3.
An insect with membranous wings.
Why?
The word “hymenopteran” comes from ancient Greek: hymen, meaning membrane, and pteron, meaning wing. The term therefore designates insects with membranous wings.
Bees, wasps, hornets and ants belong to this order. In the winged forms, two pairs of membranous wings are generally observed.
In the bee, the forewings and hindwings couple during flight by means of small hooks called hamuli. This coupling allows the wings to function as a more efficient flight surface.
What to understand
The “wasp waist” is indeed a frequent feature in many hymenopterans, in particular in the Apocrita, but it is not the etymological meaning of the word.
The sting and the venom sac do not define all hymenopterans either. They concern mainly certain females, in which the ovipositor has been transformed into a stinging apparatus.
Finally, not all hymenopterans are strictly pollinators. Some are predators, parasitoids, social or solitary, and their ecological roles are very varied.
Key points
“Hymenopteran” literally means “with membranous wings”.
The honey bee is a hymenopteran, like wasps, hornets and ants.
In the bee, the membranous wings and the hamuli are essential to understanding the efficiency of flight.