hymenopteron

hy·me·nop·ter·an

H0353600 (hī′mə-nŏp′tər-ən) also hy·me·nop·ter·on (-tə-rŏn′)n. Any of numerous insects of the order Hymenoptera, including the bees, wasps, ants, and sawflies, often living in complex social groups and characteristically having two pairs of membranous wings.

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[From New Latin Hymenoptera, order name, from Greek humenopteros, membrane-winged : humēn, membrane; see hymen + pteron, wing; see -pter.]

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hy′me·nop′ter·an, hy′me·nop′ter·ous (-tər-əs) adj.

hy•me•nop•ter•an

(ˌhaɪ məˈnɒp tər ən)

adj. 1. hymenopterous. n. 2. Also, hy′me•nop`ter. a hymenopterous insect. [1875–80]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.hymenopteron - insects having two pairs of membranous wings and an ovipositor specialized for stinging or piercinghymenopter, hymenopteran, hymenopterous insectinsect - small air-breathing arthropodHymenoptera, order Hymenoptera - an order of insects including: bees; wasps; ants; ichneumons; sawflies; gall wasps; etc.bee - any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary specieswasp - social or solitary hymenopterans typically having a slender body with the abdomen attached by a narrow stalk and having a formidable stingfamily Mutillidae, Mutillidae - a family of waspschalcid, chalcid fly, chalcid wasp, chalcidfly - any of various tiny insects whose larvae are parasites on eggs and larvae of other insects; many are beneficial in destroying injurious insectsichneumon fly - hymenopterous insect that resembles a wasp and whose larvae are parasitic on caterpillars and other insect larvaesawfly - insect whose female has a saw-like ovipositor for inserting eggs into the leaf or stem tissue of a host plantant, emmet, pismire - social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers