The venom preceded the stinger: Genomic studies shed light on the origins of bee venom
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am MainVenoms have developed in many animal groups independently of each other. One group that has many venomous species is Hymenoptera, an insect order that also includes aculeates (stinging insects) such as bees, wasps and ants. Hymenoptera is very species-rich, with over 6,000 species of bees alone.