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

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

Alex Hyde / Giant forest ant (Camponotus gigas) soldier. Maliau Basin, Sabah, Borneo.

Phil Savoie / European honey bee (Apis mellifera) worker at hive entrance emitting Nasonov pheromone from abdominal gland and fanning wings to spread the scent to returning workers, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. Septem...

Kim Taylor / European hornet (Vespa crabro) worker feeding on Victoria plum. Surrey, England, August.

Kim Taylor / Paper wasp (Polistes dominula) worker, Bulgaria, July.

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

Kim Taylor / European hornet (Vespa crabro) worker in flight carrying debris from the nest. Surrey, England, August.

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

Kim Taylor / European hornet (Vespa crabro) worker in flight carrying masticated insect material to the nest. Surrey, England, August.

Kim Taylor / Honey bee (Apis mellifera) pollen-covered worker in flight next to Canterbury bell, Surrey, England, June.

Konrad Wothe / Army ant (Eciton burcellii) soldier surrounded by workers, Panguana Reserve, Huanuco province, Amazon basin, Peru.

Konrad Wothe / Termites (Nasutitermes sp) soldiers, Panguana Reserve, Huanuco province, Amazon basin, Peru.

Alan Williams / Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) queen feeding on Verbena bonariensis in garden Cheshire, England, UK. August.

Alan Williams / Common carder bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum) queen feeding on Scabious (Scabiosa) flower in garden Cheshire, England, UK. September.

Alan Williams / Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) queen feeding on Thyme (Thymus) in garden Cheshire, England, UK. June.

Alan Williams / Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) queen feeding on Verbena bonariensis in garden Cheshire, England, UK. August.

Alan Williams / Common carder bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum) queen feeding on Aubretia flower in garden Cheshire, England, UK. May.

Andy Sands / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) worker flying back toward nest. Hertfordshire, England, UK, June

Andy Sands / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) worker flying back toward nest. Hertfordshire, England, UK, June

Andy Sands / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) worker flying back toward nest, carrying food, Hertfordshire, England, UK, June

Andy Sands / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) worker flying back toward nest. Hertfordshire, England, UK, June

Andy Sands / Queen Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) hibernating under eave in loft, note how antennae are tucked under front legs and wings are folded, for protection, under rear legs. Hertfordshire, England, UK....

MYN / Lily Kumpe / Western sugar ant (Camponotus prostans) queen, Badgingara, Western Australia. meetyourneighbours.net project

David Woodfall / Buff tailed bumble bee (Bombus terrestris) queen in flight tunnel, with transponder attached by Dr Stephan Wolf to monitor its flights. About to fly into the wild. Rothampsted Agricultural Research st...

David Woodfall / Buff tailed bumble bee (Bombus terrestris) queen in flight tunnel, with transponder attached by Dr Stephan Wolf to monitor its flights. Rothampsted Agricultural Research station, Hertfordshire, UK. Se...

David Woodfall / Early bumble bee (Bombus pratorum) on tufted vetch flower (Viccia cracca) with pollen in pollen basket, North Wales, UK. July.

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

Phil Savoie / European honey bee (Apis mellifera) female worker foraging in meadow, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. September.

Phil Savoie / European honey bee (Apis mellifera) drone - note very large eyes - flying outside hive waiting for queen to mate, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. September.

Phil Savoie / European honey bee (Apis mellifera) drone - note very large eyes - flying outside hive waiting for queen to mate, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. September.

Phil Savoie / Close up of Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) queen feeding at a flower (Sedum spectabile), Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. September.

Phil Savoie / Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) queen feeding on ice plant flowers (Sedum spectabile), Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. September.

Kim Taylor / White-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) worker with full pollen sacs visiting Borage (Borago officinalis) flower. Surrey, England, July.

Kim Taylor / White-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) worker with full pollen sacs visiting Borage (Borago officinalis) flower. Surrey, England, July.

Kim Taylor / Honey bee (Apis mellifera) workers drinking from algae-covered pond. Surrey, England, August.

Kim Taylor / Honey bee (Apis mellifera) worker drinking from algae-covered pond. Surrey, England, August.

Kim Taylor / Leaf-cutter ants (Atta cephalotes) on white background, carrying leaf sections and flower heads. Tobago, West Indies. Digital Composite.

Alex Hyde / Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) worker on a white background. Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. July.

John Abbott / High Country Bumble Bee (Bombus flavifrons) worker on white background, North Pole, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, USA, July.

Alex Hyde / Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) worker feeding on Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare). Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. July.

John Abbott / Common Eastern Bumble Bee (Bombus impatiens) worker in flight with pollen sacs, Camp Maxey National Guard Facility, Paris, Lamar County, Texas, USA.

Nick Upton / Hornet (Vespa crabro) returning to nest in hollow tree, guard visible at entrance. Another worker crawls over the surface of the nest. Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Nick Upton / Three Hornets (Vespa crabro) guarding nest entrance in hollow tree. One wing fanning to help cool it. Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Nick Upton / Hornet (Vespa crabro) checked by a guard as it returns to the entrance of its nest, Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Neotropical mound building termites (Cornitermes cumulans) workers taking vegetation into hole, with solider, Emas National Park, Cerrado region, near Mineiros, Goias, Central Brazil.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Neotropical mound building termites (Cornitermes cumulans) on ground, a soldier and several workers, some climbing out of hole, Emas National Park, Cerrado region, near Mineiros, Central Brazil.

MD Kern / Palo Alto JR Museum / European honey bees (Apis mellifera) tending the queen, one licking her to take up her odour, which will spread through the colony via food exchange, such as in the bottom right corner of the image. A...

MD Kern / Palo Alto JR Museum / European honey bee (Apis mellifera) queen laying eggs

MD Kern / Palo Alto JR Museum / European honey bees (Apis mellifera) tending the queen, with one feeding her

MD Kern / Palo Alto JR Museum / European honey bees (Apis mellifera) tending the queen, one licking her to take up her odour, which will spread through the colony via food exchange, such as in the bottom right corner of the image. A...

MD Kern / Palo Alto JR Museum / European honey bee (Apis mellifera) attending to queen cells, captive.

MD Kern / Palo Alto JR Museum / European honey bees (Apis mellifera) on honey comb with cells filled with pollen

MD Kern / Palo Alto JR Museum / European honey bee (Apis mellifera) queen laying eggs

MD Kern / Palo Alto JR Museum / European honey bee (Apis mellifera) queen laying eggs

MD Kern / Palo Alto JR Museum / European honey bees (Apis mellifera) on brood comb, with new hatchlings which are paler in colour. Adults include one with Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) - a red patch on central bees thorax, and one...

MD Kern / Palo Alto JR Museum / European honey bee (Apis mellifera) queen laying eggs, surrounded by workers who lick her to take up her odour which is spread throughout the colony, captive.

Ernie Janes / Sand mason worm (Lanice conchilega) on mudflats at low tide, Norfolk, UK. August

Bruno D'Amicis / Driver / Safari / Army ant (Dorylus sp.) column on forest floor, Kaffa zone, Southern Ethiopia, East Africa December 2008

Kim Taylor / Honey bee {Apis mellifera} worker with yellow pollen sack executing 'waggledance' to indicate food source.

Kim Taylor / Termite workers with two nasute soldiers, Trinidad. South America

Chris Shields / Illustration of Termites (Isoptera),different castes within a colony. (L-R) Workers,soldier, winged and queen termites.