Aculeata is a
subclade of
Hymenoptera containing
ants,
bees, and stinging wasps. The name is a reference to the defining feature of the group, which is the modification of the
ovipositor into a
stinger. However, many members of the group cannot sting, either retaining the ovipositor, or having lost it altogether. A large part of the clade is
parasitic.
This group includes all of the
eusocialHymenopterans. It is theorized that the possession of a venomous sting was important in the repeated
evolution of eusociality within Hymenoptera.
The use of the name Aculeata has a long history at the rank of
infraorder or division. The Aculeata are a
monophyletic, or good natural group, containing all the descendants of a single common ancestor. The Aculeata are therefore maintained as a
taxon, either at infraorder or division rank or as an unranked
clade.[2][3][4][5][6]