Colin Varndell / Hornet (Vespa crabro) drinking at bird bath. Dorset, UK, July.

Lucas Bustamante / Brush footed butterfly (Lycorea sp.) caterpillar with parasitic wasp cocoons on silk threads, Yasuni National Park, Orellana, Ecuador.

Robert Thompson / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) flying to fuchsia flower, Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland.

John Abbott / Paper wasp (Polistes metricus) flying from flower, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA Controlled conditions. September

MYN / JP Lawrence / Velvet ant (Dasymutilla quadriguttata) Oxford, Mississippi, USA. Meetyourneighbours.net project

Solvin Zankl / Gall wasp (Cynips quercusfolii) emerging from the oak gall. Germany, October.

MYN / Marc Pihet / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris), Maine-et-Loire, France, November. meetyourneighbours.net project

Andy Sands / German wasp (Vespula germanica) worker carrying rubbish, flying out of nest in air brick, Hertfordshire, England, UK. July

Alex Hyde / Spider hunting wasp (Pompilidae) Maliau Basin, Sabah, Borneo.

Kim Taylor / European hornet (Vespa crabro) worker in flight, Surrey, England, August.

Alex Hyde / Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris) feeding on a pot of jam, photographed against a white background. Derbyshire, UK. September.

Ingo Arndt / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) detail of nest surface, Hessen, Germany, April.

Kim Taylor / European Hornet (Vespa crabro) queen approaching nest. Surrey, England, May

Alex Hyde / Portrait of a Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris). UK. Focus stacked image (dead specimen).

Alex Hyde / Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) close up of sting, UK

Andy Sands / Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) drinking at water's surface from floating leaf. Captive, UK. 'Hidden Britain' category, British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) competition 2012.

Andy Sands / Digger Wasp (Cerceris rybyensis) Female carrying two males attempting to displace one another to mate, West sussex, England, UK, July

Andy Sands / Digger Wasp (Cerceris arenaria) emerging from burrow where it stores insects, paralysed to feed the wasp's larvae. London, England, UK, July.

Andy Sands / Digger Wasp (Cerceris arenaria) carrying large weevil back to burrow, paralysed as food for larvae. London, England, UK, July.

Rolf Nussbaumer / Red paper wasp (Polistes carolina) adult in flight, Dinero, Lake Corpus Christi, South Texas, USA.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Queen Hornet (Vespa crabro) feeding on Knotweed flower (Persicaria bistorta "superba") in garden, Wiltshire, England, UK, May . Property released.

John Abbott / Ichneumon wasp (Compsocryptus sp.?) in flight, Williamson county, Texas, USA, November

Daniel Heuclin / Male Asian hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) France, November 2011

Andy Sands / Hunting Wasp (Ectemnius cavifrons) female carrying paralysed hoverfly in flight toward tunnel entrance in rotten log. Hertfordshire, England, UK, July.

Rolf Nussbaumer / Black and yellow Mud Dauber (Sceliphron caementarium) female collecting mud for her nest. Comal County, Hill Country, Central Texas, USA, July.

Kim Taylor / European Hornet (Vespa crabro) workers feeding on Cotoneaster sap from a wound that they have created by chewing away the bark. Surrey, UK, September.

Ernie Janes / Close up of tail sting of Hornet (Vespa crabro) UK

Alex Hyde / European hornet (Vespa crabro) head close up showing the three ocelli between the two compound eyes.

Paul Hobson / Wasps (Vespula vulgaris) swarming around jam pot at a cafe, Peak District, England, UK, August

Alex Hyde / Social Wasp colony {Hymenoptera} photographed against white background. Masoala Peninsula National Park, north east Madagascar.

Nick Upton / Ichneumon Wasp (Ichneumonidae) with antenna upright, on leaf. Wiltshire garden, UK, May.

Stephen Dalton / Mud dauber wasp (Sceliphron caementarium) flying over cactus spines, Everglades NP, Florida, USA

Andy Sands / Ichneumon wasp (Rhyssa persuasoria) one of the largest British wasps, at rest on Dock leaf, UK, Captive

Stephen Dalton / Common wasp {Vespula vulgaris} flying to fallen apple on grass, UK

Stephen Dalton / Common wasp (Vespa vulgaris) flying towards ripe fruit, UK

Wild Wonders of Europe / Lesniewski / Wasps on nest, Bagerova Steppe, Kerch Peninsula, Crimea, Ukraine, July 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Maitland / Male Giant / Mammoth wasp (Megascolia flavifrons) close-up of face showing long antennae and small jaws, Stenje region, Galicica National Park, Macedonia, June 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Maitland / Female Giant / Mammoth wasp (Megascolia flavifrons) close-up of head showing short antennae and long curved jaws or mandibles, Stenje region, Galicica National Park, Macedonia, June 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Ziegler / Parasitoid wasp (Ichneumonidae) carrying a large paralysed caterpillar to its nesting hole, The Peloponnese, Greece, May 2009