The American Museum of Natural History & Hymenoptera Since 2002, Chad Gracia has worked an intern and volunteer at the American Museum of Natural History in the Invertebrate Biology laboratory. In addition to tours, he specialized in the classification of Bolivian hymenoptera, the wildly diverse and important group of insects that includes wasps, bees, and ants. Of particular interest are the Ichneumonidae, known for their parasitic behavior, which includes the depositing of eggs within larvae. This horrifying activity led many to question the existence of a benevelent God (see below).   "With respect to the theological view of the question. This is always painful to me. I am bewildered. I had no intention to write atheistically. But I own that I cannot see as plainly as others do, and as I should wish to do, evidence of design and beneficence on all sides of us. There seems to me too much misery in the world. I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of Caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice." - Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, vol II, pg 49 ichneumonids -- such as this Rhyssa persuasoria -- parasitize other animals. This individual has detected (no one yet knows how) a wood wasp larvae deep within a fir tree. Click to see its ovipositor boring through several inches of trunk to deposit eggs in the unlucky wood wasp larvae.   The Order Hymenoptera (commonly thought of as wasps) contains over 100,000 species, including two of three or four the truly social organisms on the planet. Arguably the most fascinating family of all is the formicidae, or ants.   Another favorite is the family Pelicinidae. These individuals are some of the most beautiful I've seen -- my own collection contains one that was collected in Mt. Tremblant, Canada. Click to enlarge.