Classification and distribution of Hymenoptera of Hong Kong

Recent phylogenetic studies has shown that the Aculeata (ants, bees and stinging wasps) evolved within the Parasitica and Apocrita lineage evolved within the Symphyta thus historical classification and division of the Hymenoptera (Symphyta + Apocrita) and Apocrita (Aculeata + Parasitica) is out of date. The Aculeata however is a monophyletic group where all the wasps share a common ancestor.

Order HYMENOPTERA (Wasps, Bees, Ants)

Aculeata (Wasps)

Superfamily Apoidea (apoid wasps)

Family Ampulicidae (cockroach wasps)

Family Bembicidae (sand wasps)

Family Crabronidae (square-headed wasps)

Family Pemphredonidae (aphid wasps)

Family Psenidae (aphid wasps)

Family Sphecidae (digger wasps)

Superfamily Chrysidoidea

Family Bethylidae (flat wasps)

Family Chrysididae (cuckoo wasps)

Family Dryinidae (pincer wasps)

Family Sclerogibbidae

Superfamily Pompiloidea

Family Mutillidae (velvet ants)

Family Pompilidae (spider wasps)

Family Sapygidae

Superfamily Scolioidea

Family Scoliidae (flower wasps)

Superfamily Tiphioidea

Family Tiphiidae

Superfamily Thynoidea

Family Thynnidae

Superfamily Vespoidea

Family Vespidae (paper wasps, potter wasps, hornets, pollen wasps, yellowjackets)

References

Branstetter M, Danforth B, Pitts J, Faircloth B, Ward P, Buffington M, Gates M, Kula R, Brady S (2017). Phylogenomic Insights into the Evolution of Stinging Wasps and the Origins of Ants and Bees. Current Biology. 27. 1019-1025. 10.1016/j.cub.2017.03.027. 

Johnson, Brian & Borowiec, Marek & Chiu, Joanna & Lee, Ernest & Atallah, Joel & Ward, Philip. (2013). Phylogenomics Resolves Evolutionary Relationships among Ants, Bees, and Wasps. Current biology : CB. 23. 10.1016/j.cub.2013.08.050. 

Peters, Ralph & Krogmann, Lars & Mayer, Christoph & Donath, Alexander & Gunkel, Simon & Meusemann, Karen & Kozlov, Alexey & Podsiadlowski, Lars & Petersen, Malte & Lanfear, Robert & Diez, Patricia & Heraty, John & Kjer, Karl & Klopfstein, Seraina & Meier, Rudolf & Polidori, Carlo & Schmitt, Thomas & Liu, Shanlin & Zhou, Xin & Niehuis, Oliver. (2017). Evolutionary History of the Hymenoptera. Current Biology. 27. 1013–1018. 10.1016/j.cub.2017.01.027. 

Schulmeister, Susanne. (2003). Simultaneous analysis of basal Hymenoptera (Insecta): Introducing robust-choice sensitivity analysis. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 79. 245 - 275. 10.1046/j.1095-8312.2003.00233.x. 

Sharkey, Michael. (2007). Phylogeny and Classification of Hymenoptera. Zootaxa. 1668. 521-548. 10.11646/zootaxa.1668.1.25.