The largest collection is that of aculeate wasps and bees, numbering c 160 000. The provenance of the specimens is in the main southern African.
Some exotic material is included, most notably aculeates from Arizona and Australia.
The established field of research of the department is the study of aculeate wasps and bees. As the bulk of ethological studies on southern African aculeate wasps has been undertaken by the members of this department this collection is particularly notable. A steady flow of publications on the systematics and taxonomy, biogeography, ecology and behaviour of aculeates emanates from this department.