The name Aculeata is used to refer to a monophyletic lineage of
Hymenoptera. The word "Aculeata" is a reference to the defining
feature of the group, which is the modification of the
ovipositor into a stinger (thus, the group could be called
stinging wasps). In other words, the structure that was
originally used to lay eggs is modified instead to deliver
venom. Not all members of the group can sting; in fact, a great
many cannot, either because the ovipositor is modified in a
different manner (such as for laying eggs in crevices), or
because it is lost altogether. This group includes the bees and
ants and all of the eusocial Hymenopterans; it is, in fact,
commonly believed that the possession of a venomous sting was
one of the important features promoting the evolution of social
behavior, as it confers a level of anti-predator defense rarely
approached by other invertebrates. The use of the name Aculeata
has a long history at the rank of infraorder or division, and it
is only with the advent of modern phyloge