Polistes is a cosmopolitan genus of paper wasps and the only genus in the tribe Polistini. Vernacular names for the genus include umbrella wasps, coined by Walter Ebeling in 1975 to distinguish it from other types of paper wasp, in reference to the form of their nests, and umbrella paper wasps. Polistes is the single largest genus within the family Vespidae, with over 200 recognized species. Their innate preferences for nest-building sites leads them to commonly build nests on human habitation, where they can be very unwelcome; although generally not aggressive, they can be provoked into defending their nests. All species are predatory, and they may consume large numbers of caterpillars, in which respect they are generally considered beneficial.
Pepsis is a genus of spider wasps belonging to the family Pompilidae. Species within this genus are also called tarantula hawks, as they usually hunt tarantulas, similarly to many species in the genus Hemipepsis. These wasps are restricted to the Americas, with the related genus Hemipepsis occurring in both Old and New Worlds.
Ammophila is the type genus of the subfamily Ammophilinae of the hunting wasp family Sphecidae. Ammophila is a large and cosmopolitan genus, with over 200 species, mostly occurring in the warmer regions of all continents apart from Antarctica.
Chrysidini is a very large tribe of cuckoo wasps in the subfamily Chrysidinae; this tribe contains more than half of all chrysidid species.
Hedychrum is a large genus of cuckoo wasps. With roughly 150 species, it is the second largest genus in the family; most species are from the Palaearctic, but they can be found in the Oriental, Afrotropical, Nearctic, and Neotropical regions. Their hosts are typically from the subfamily Philanthinae.
Chrysura is a genus of cuckoo wasps which parasitize megachilid bees. There are 117 species in Chrysura, all but 11 of which are found in the Palaearctic, making it the third largest genus in the family. The genus was described by Dahlbom in 1845, and the type species for the genus is Chrysura austriaca.
Podalonia is a genus of parasitoidal wasps in the family Sphecidae.
Prionyx is a genus of wasps in the family Sphecidae. They are known to hunt and feed on grasshoppers.
Holopyga is a genus of cuckoo wasps.
Elampini is a tribe of cuckoo wasps in the family Chrysididae.
Chrysura simplex is a species of cuckoo wasps, insects in the family Chrysididae.
Omalus is a genus of cuckoo wasps in the family Chrysididae.
