Hymenoptera. The bees, bumblebees, ants, wasps and saw flies belong to that order.

Hymenoptera is divided into different subordes. Namely suborder Symphyta (This group has no waist, sawflies) and suborder Apocrita. Apocrita is also divided into two groups. Namely: Parasitica and Aculeta.

Parasitica: wasps or parasitic hymenoptera. The females have an ovipositor, with the ovipositor they lay eggs into or near larvae. These larvae are eaten by the wasp larvae. There are several families.
The largest group are the ichneumon wasp (Ichmonidae). Other groups are: Braconidae, chalcid wasps (Chalcidoidea), Gasteruptiidae, gall wasps (Cynipoidea) The plant galls develop, when the eggs are laid.  

Aculeata: In this group the ovipositor is is modified into an stinger. With this stinger they can defend themselves (bees) or they can stun a prey.  In this group are also wasps with parasitic larvae. Spider wasps look like ichneumon wasps, but have a sting to stun their hosts. Jewel wasps (Chrysididae) have a sting too.

Large Rose Sawfly (Arge pagana) Family Argidae, Saw Flies (Symphyta)
Saw Flies (Symphyta). Sawflies are closely related to wasps. But they don't have the 'waist' of wasps. They make no nest and have no social organization. Sawfly larvae feed on leaves. The larvae  look similar to the caterpillars, but they have six or more pair of prolegs. Some larvae look like little slugs.  

Large Earth Bumblebee, Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) Bumblebees
Bumblebees (Bombus): Big hairy bees of the genus Bombus. They live in colonies. Only the queen hibernates and starts a new colony next year. The nest is sometimes underground, but can also be built between clumps of grass.

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Photo 3-4-2010. This is a queen. As you can see the queen more robust. The antennae of the males have 13 segments. The scapus (shaft) is the first segment. The workers have 12. 
In Holland they are also called lemonade wasps, because they can be annoying in  late summer and autumn.  Especially if you drink lemonade.
Queen Length: 16 - 19 mm, length workers 11 - 14 mm, length males 13 - 17 mm.
They look very much like the slightly larger German wasp (Vespula germanica).
The nest will be built underground  in old nests of animals, but also in hollow trees and wall cavities. 
In 2008 we had a nest between the roof and ceiling of the pantry. Until  autumn we had no problem. Only when it was cold, you did see them in the pantry. There they were walking around very slow. The year after they had disappeared. 
Native to Europe, Asia, Japan en Northern America. Introduced in New Zealand and Australia. 

   Three pictures of a worker of the common wasp, 30-10-2010

German: Gemeine Wespe  French: La guêpe commune 

Characteristic: Black with yellow stripes. A narrow tip. Most males of the potter wasps have back-curved last segments of the antennae. 
There are many similar species. Ancistrocerus parietum, Ancistrocerus gazella, Ancistrocerus quadratus, Ancistrocerus nigricornis, Ancistrocerus oviventris...

The nests can be found in holes in the wood. Like beetle galleries, boreholes. In the cells of the nest are caterpillars as food for larvae. As with masonry bees, they close the cell. 

          Photos 18-4-2010

Which species it is, I don't know. Spider wasps are slender with long legs. Usually they are black with a red or white markings on the front part of the abdomen. Unlike other wasps the first segment of the thorax (pronotum) of spider wasps extends back to the tegulae (attachment scales of the wings).
They are solitary and hunt spiders. The spider is paralyzed with a poisonous sting and then dragged into a nest. Or to a place where a nest is made. In the abdomen an egg is laid.
In Belgium and the Netherlands are approximately 70 species. There are four subfamilies. Ceropalinae, Pepsinae, Ctenocerinae, Pompilinae
They can also stabbing people.

  Foto 11-8-2010. Maybe Caliadurgus fasciatellus or  Priocnemis (Pompilidae) female. ????????

Auplopus carbonarius Family spider wasps (Pompilidae)
This spider wasp is completely black. The male has white spots on the face. The front of the abdomen is narrowed.
This is a common spider wasp in the Netherlands. The female in this photo drag the spider with it. It has amputated the legs of the spider. This often happens with these spider wasps.
The nests are unexcavated. Usually you can find them in crevices in walls or trees.

Length 7-10 mm
May-August.

Photo 13-9-2010

They have a hard exoskeleton. They need it to protect themselves, when the meet the host. For Ruby-tailed wasps lay their eggs in the nests of other wasps, bees. (cuckoo wasps) The larvae of the ruby-tailed wasps eat the bee or wasp larvae of their host.
They are variable in size.

Here you can find many species: Jewel wasps!!
German: Goldwaspe - Gemeine Goldwespe, Feuer-Goldwespe (Chrysis ignita) 

This jewel wasp was about 5 mm and was constantly moving. 
Thanks for helping me: Pietsje and Horst Jux.

  Photo 12-6-2011

Small, about 3 or 4 mm and again... it was  was constantly moving. 
Thanks for helping me: Paolo Rosa. Here  more information.

     Photos 10-7-2011

Indification by Toshko: A male of Ectemnius cavifrons (Thomson). The shape of lower surface of first flagellar segment, coloration of clypeal hairs and shape of inner mandibular edge and fore and mid tarsal segments are diagnostic features for this species.
Thanks Toshko.   Other experts believe, however, that the details are not clear enough.

  Photos 25-4-2008       Some years later: 3-7-2011 

Ivo Raemakers (translated): I can't see the number cubitaalcels, but given the habit and the not stemmed the abdomen, the thighs thickened and the structure of the propodeum, I think Crossocerus.  Thanks Ivo. Maybe Crossocerus nigritus

Photo 30-4-2010

The prey are the bees Halictus, Lasioglossum and Andrena. It stocks its nests with these solitary bees.
They like to nest in groups. They make a corridor right downwards with side corridors with a cubbyhole on end. 

Length 8 - 12 mm
June- September

       Photos 21-8-2010

Features: A narrow waist. The abdominal segments 2-5 have a yellow band. In section 4, the yellow band  is broken.
Flies of the family muscidae are often used as prey.
The nest is underground.

Length  - 12 mm
Juli - oktober

    Photos 4-9-2010

Rhopalum coarctatum(Andrena subopaca) Family: Digger Wasps

A black wasp. The orange spot on the hind shins is striking. The legs are pale yellow with black. The male has strange antennas. Just visible in the picture.
Length of male 4.5 to 6.5 mm. Female: 6 to 7.5 mm.
Nests in stems, rotten wood. Their preys are mosquitoes, dust lice.
Europe, Asia (to Japan) and North America.
April - September 

      Photos 21-5-2011

      Foto 19-6-2011   

German: Töpfergrabwespe

When I think of bees, I always think of social honey bees and beekeepers. But there are also many solitary species. They all feed on ( also the larvae) nectar and polllen. Bumble bees are close relatives of  the honey bees.

European honey bee, western honey bee (Apis mellifica)

The honey bee is a social bee, originally from South Asia. In Europe it is found in wild and it is maintained by beekeepers.
The queen leaves her nest for the mating flight. The males you see especially in summer. Furthermore, there are of course the workers.
The bees survive winter as a colony. A difference with the bumblebees.
The bee is easily recognized by their elongated radial cell near the front wingtip.

   Bees collect pollen in the pollen basket.

German: Westliche Honigbiene, Europäische Honigbiene. French: L'abeille européenne, l’avette, la mouche à miel

A solitary bee. The species are often difficult to identify from a photo.

Leaf cutting bees cut circular pieces of leaves to construct their nest. The nests are created in small holes in the ground, but also in for example hollow plant stems. The nests contain several cells. In each cell the bee with pollen and nectar the bee lays one egg.

On the photo you can see the yellow hairs on the underside of the abdomen. (a kind of hairy brush) On these hairs they carry pollen. 

May - August.

German: Mörtel- und Blattschneiderbienen  

German: Rote Mauerbiene

On these photos you can see better the black end of the abdomen. (Flower: white squill (Scilla mischtschenkoana)

Lasioglossum calceatum or Lasioglossum albipes  Family Halicidae   male

These two species are very similar. The females have a sweet fragrance.

It's a social bee. The female hibernates. In spring it makes a nest in the ground. First the workers appear and then the males and females.

Lasioglossum calceatum Length females 8 - 9 mm, length males 8 - 10 mm.
Lasioglossum albipes Length females 8 - 9 mm, length males 8 - 10 mm.

April - October.

A solitary bee. Unfortunately not to identify.

Somme species make nests in the ground vertically, other species horizontally. There are also differences in size and flight among the species. There are 72 species in the Netherlands.

Tawny Mining Bee (Andrena fulva)  Family Mining Bees (Andrenidae)   Female

It looks a bit like a bumblebee with his long foxy red brown hairs. The legs are black.
You can often find them (also in our garden) on currants, gooseberries and other Ribes species. 
Solitary. The females make the nest in sandy soil. Sometimes in the garden. Small sand heaps with entrance hole in the middle. Diameter: 9 mm. Depth: 20 - 40 mm. The branched hole has oval cells. In each cell are pollen, nectar and one egg.  
Sometimes there are many nests together. But every bee has its own nest.

Length female 12-14 mm, length male 9 - 11 mm.
March - May.

German: Rotpelzige Sandbiene 

Length 9 - 10 mm.
April - June.
German: Rotschopfige Erdbiene

Andrena tibialis.  Family Mining Bees (Andrenidae)  female.  
Photo 17-4-2010 

At first I thought it was an Andrena carantonica. But Ivo Raemakers commented: Because a whole orange scopa: no A. carantonica. Because  light hairy face: no A. nigroaenea. Remains A. tibialis. Thanks Ivo.
The number Andrena carantonica in the Netherlands seems to have decreased.

Length 8, 9 mm.
Flight: March - June

Andrena subopaca Family Mining Bees (Andrenidae)  Photo 4-6-2010 

I'm not quite sure. It is the most common wasp in the Netherlands of the Andrena minutula group. These are small black bees, which are difficult to identify. Other species, which belong to this group, are Andrena minutula, Andrena minutuloides, Andrena Saunders ella, Andrena falsifica and Andrena viridescens.
In these pictures it is on Alliaria officinalis or Alliaria petiolata. At the top picture with a beetle (Byturus)
Sparsely hairy. Both on the head, thorax and the body are white hairs. The tip of the abdomen is brown. That is hard to see. (picture on the bottom)

Length  5 - 7 mm.
Flight: March - August

A cuckoo bee. In the Netherlands, there are 43 species. I don't know the species. It looks like a wasp.

Like a cuckoo, they lay their eggs in nests of other bee species. Often of mining bees. The nomada larvae kill the larvae of the host, when they grow up.
Like other bees the nomada feeds on nectar and pollen. But it lacks a pollen-carrying scopa. (Modifications on the body of a non-parasitic bee for carrying pollen.) Parasitic bees don't need to transport pollen.

April - August.    More information:   www.wildebijen.nl/wespbijene  

   Wasp bee, Nomada spec. (Nomada spec.) 18-4-2010