Parasitoids
107 species with this diet
African Blister Beetle
Mylabris oculata
A conspicuous beetle with orange-red and black banded elytra. It contains cantharidin, a potent toxin that can cause sev...
African Mantidfly
Sagittalata olivacea
A greenish African mantidfly found in woodland and bushveld habitats. Like all mantidflies, it has distinctive raptorial...
Alfalfa Caterpillar Parasite
Cotesia medicaginis
A small braconid wasp that parasitizes alfalfa butterfly caterpillars in agricultural fields. Larvae spin white cocoons ...
Alfalfa Weevil Parasitoid
Bathyplectes curculionis
A small parasitoid wasp that attacks alfalfa weevil larvae in North America. It was introduced from Europe as a classica...
Ant-decapitating Fly
Pseudacteon tricuspis
A minute parasitoid fly that targets fire ants by injecting eggs into their bodies. The developing larva migrates to the...
Aphid Mummy Wasp
Aphidius ervi
A tiny parasitoid wasp widely used in biological control of pea aphids and other large aphid species. It turns parasitiz...
Aphidius Wasp
Aphidius colemani
A minute parasitoid wasp widely used in greenhouses to control aphid pests. A single female can parasitize over 300 aphi...
Aphytis Wasp
Aphytis melinus
A tiny golden-yellow parasitoid wasp that is the primary biocontrol agent of California red scale on citrus. It lays egg...
Ash Whitefly Parasitoid
Encarsia inaron
A minute parasitoid wasp that attacks whitefly nymphs on ash trees and other hosts. It was introduced to California to c...
Asian Velvet Ant
Smicromyrme rufipes
A small to medium velvet ant with reddish legs and black body found across southern Asia. It parasitizes various ground-...
Australian Mantidfly
Campion australis
An Australian mantidfly found in eucalyptus forests and dry woodland. Adults are nocturnal and attracted to lights at ni...
Australian Velvet Ant
Ephutomorpha queenslandica
An Australian wingless wasp with orange and black velvety coloring. It parasitizes ground-nesting native bees in tropica...
Banchine Wasp
Banchus falcatorius
A stout black-and-yellow ichneumon wasp that mimics social wasps in appearance. It is a solitary parasitoid of moth larv...
Banded Chalcid Wasp
Chalcis sispes
A robust chalcid wasp with enlarged hind femora bearing tooth-like projections. It parasitizes the pupae of various flie...
Banded Ichneumon
Ichneumon xanthorius
A boldly patterned black-and-yellow parasitoid wasp commonly found in European gardens. It parasitizes large moth caterp...
Black Ichneumon Wasp
Coelichneumon deliratorius
A large, entirely black ichneumon wasp with a robust build. It is a solitary parasitoid of large moth pupae hidden in so...
Black Slip Wasp
Pimpla instigator
A medium-sized black ichneumon wasp that parasitizes butterfly and moth pupae. Uses its ovipositor to penetrate through ...
Black-Headed Blister Beetle
Epicauta pennsylvanica
An entirely black blister beetle common across eastern North America, often seen in large groups on goldenrod in autumn....
Blue Morpho Caterpillar Parasite Wasp
Conura acuta
A metallic-colored parasitoid wasp that attacks the pupae of various Lepidoptera, including Morpho butterflies. The fema...
Brachymeria Chalcid
Brachymeria intermedia
A stocky black chalcid wasp that is a hyperparasitoid, attacking other parasitoid wasps inside their hosts. It has becom...
Braconid Mummy Wasp
Aphidius matricariae
A small parasitoid wasp specializing in green peach aphids and other crop pest aphids. It is commercially reared for bio...
Cabbage Looper Parasite
Microplitis plutellae
A small dark braconid wasp that attacks caterpillars of the diamondback moth and cabbage looper. A single larva emerges ...
Cassava Mealybug Parasitoid
Anagyrus lopezi
A tiny encyrtid wasp credited with saving Africa's cassava crop from devastating mealybug infestations. It was introduce...
Cedar Beetle
Sandalus niger
A parasitoid beetle whose larvae feed on cicada nymphs underground....
Cinnamon Tachinid
Adejeania vexatrix
A large, robust tachinid fly with reddish-brown coloring and prominent bristles. It is a common parasitoid of armyworm c...
Citrus Leafminer Parasitoid
Cirrospilus ingenuus
A tiny ectoparasitoid wasp that attacks citrus leafminer larvae inside their leaf mines. It has been introduced to many ...
Citrus Mealybug Encyrtid
Leptomastix dactylopii
A solitary parasitoid wasp specific to citrus mealybugs, used globally in greenhouse biological control. Adults are slen...
Common Pimpline Wasp
Pimpla hypochondriaca
A stout black parasitoid wasp that attacks moth and butterfly pupae. It is one of the most frequently encountered ichneu...
Common Spongillafly
Sisyra fuscata
A small dark lacewing whose larvae are aquatic parasitoids of freshwater sponges. One of the few neuropterans with aquat...
Common Trichogramma Wasp
Trichogramma brassicae
One of the tiniest parasitoid wasps, it lays eggs inside moth eggs destroying them before hatching. It is mass-released ...
Common Yellow Ichneumon
Ichneumon stramentor
A bright yellow and black ichneumon wasp found across central Europe. It parasitizes pupae of cutworm and dart moths in ...
Conops Fly
Conops flavipes
A wasp-mimicking fly with yellow legs and a narrow waist. Females parasitize adult bumblebees....
Copidosoma Polyembryonic Wasp
Copidosoma floridanum
A remarkable parasitoid in which a single egg divides into thousands of genetically identical embryos inside a moth cate...
Corn Earworm Egg Parasitoid
Trichogramma pretiosum
A microscopic egg parasitoid wasp used extensively against cotton bollworm and corn earworm. It is the most commercially...
Cotesia Congregata
Cotesia congregata
A gregarious endoparasitoid whose larvae emerge en masse from hornworm caterpillars to spin white cocoons on the host's ...
Cotesia Glomerata Wasp
Cotesia glomerata
A small gregarious parasitoid wasp that attacks cabbage white butterfly caterpillars. Dozens of larvae develop inside a ...
Dahlia Longhorn
Agapanthia dahli
A medium-sized longhorn with dense olive-green pubescence and a prominent yellow dorsal stripe on the pronotum. It is wi...
Diamondback Moth Parasite
Diadegma insulare
A small parasitoid that is the most important natural enemy of the diamondback moth on brassica crops. It lays a single ...
Diamondback Moth Parasitoid
Diadegma semiclausum
A small ichneumon wasp that is the most important natural enemy of the diamondback moth, a major global brassica pest. F...
Dibrachys Pupal Parasite
Dibrachys cavus
A gregarious parasitoid wasp that attacks the pupae and cocoons of many different insect hosts. It is a generalist and s...
Emerald Ash Borer Parasite
Spathius agrili
A parasitoid wasp from China released in North America to combat the devastating emerald ash borer beetle. Females drill...
Encyrtus Scale Parasite
Encyrtus infelix
A parasitoid wasp that attacks soft scale insects on citrus and ornamental trees. It was among the earliest parasitoids ...
Ensign Wasp
Evania appendigaster
A parasitoid wasp that targets cockroach egg cases and helps control pest populations....
European Banded Ichneumon
Amblyteles armatorius
A striking black and yellow ichneumon wasp that closely resembles a social wasp. It is a common parasitoid of noctuid mo...
European Corn Borer Braconid
Macrocentrus cingulum
A slender parasitoid wasp introduced to North America to control the European corn borer moth. It lays polyembryonic egg...
European Thick-headed Fly
Myopa buccata
A small reddish-brown conopid fly with a distinctively swollen face and downward-curving proboscis. It is commonly found...
European Velvet Ant
Mutilla europaea
A robust wingless wasp with black and orange-red banding and dense velvety hair. Females enter bumblebee nests to lay eg...
Fairy Wasp
Kikiki huna
One of the smallest known insects in the world at just 0.15 millimeters long....
Fairyfly Wasp
Dicopomorpha echmepterygis
The smallest known insect in the world at just 0.139 mm in length. Males are blind, wingless, and smaller than some sing...
Giant Ichneumon Wasp
Dolichomitus imperator
A parasitoid wasp with an ovipositor longer than its body used to drill into wood....
Giant Orange Ichneumon
Netelia producta
A large, uniformly orange ichneumon wasp commonly attracted to lights. It parasitizes caterpillars of owlet moths and ge...
Glyptomorpha Braconid
Glyptomorpha deesae
A small parasitoid wasp that attacks bruchid beetle larvae inside stored legume seeds. It has been studied as a biologic...
Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn
Agapanthia villosoviridescens
A longhorn beetle covered in golden-green hairs found in European meadows. Larvae develop inside the stems of thistles a...
Grain Moth Parasitoid
Pteromalus cerealellae
A small metallic parasitoid wasp that attacks stored-product moth larvae and pupae. It is found in grain stores and ware...
Grain Pteromalid
Anisopteromalus calandrae
A tiny parasitoid of grain weevil and bruchid beetle larvae concealed inside stored cereal grains. It is widely used in ...
Great Pied Hoverfly
Volucella bombylans
A furry hoverfly that exists in multiple colour forms, each mimicking a different bumblebee species. Larvae develop insi...
Greenhouse Whitefly Parasitoid
Encarsia formosa
The most widely used parasitoid wasp in greenhouse biological control worldwide. Parasitized whitefly nymphs turn black,...
Gypsy Moth Parasite
Cotesia melanoscela
A small braconid introduced to North America to control the invasive gypsy moth. It attacks early-instar caterpillars an...
Hockeria Chalcid
Hockeria unicolor
A metallic dark parasitoid wasp that attacks the pupae of noctuid moths in the soil. It is found across Europe in grassl...
Horse Chestnut Leafminer Parasitoid
Pnigalio agraules
A small metallic-green ectoparasitoid wasp that attacks leafminer larvae inside leaf mines. It has a broad host range ac...
House Fly Pupal Parasitoid
Muscidifurax raptor
A minute parasitoid wasp that develops inside house fly and stable fly pupae. It is sold commercially for biological fly...
Ichneumon Wasp
Megarhyssa macrurus
A large parasitoid wasp with an extremely long, thread-like ovipositor that can exceed the length of its body. Females d...
Jewel Wasp Pteromalid
Nasonia vitripennis
A tiny jewel wasp that parasitizes the pupae of blowflies, flesh flies, and house flies. It is one of the most important...
Large-legged Chalcid
Chalcis myrifex
A parasitoid wasp with conspicuously thickened hind femora used to brace itself while ovipositing. It attacks the pupae ...
Lebia Greenhead
Lebia viridis
A small, brightly colored ground beetle with a metallic green head and pronotum and reddish-brown elytra. Its larvae are...
Lissonota Ichneumon
Lissonota setosa
A slender, reddish-brown ichneumon wasp that parasitizes moth larvae inside their shelters. Females have a long, flexibl...
Lunate Ichneumon
Megarhyssa greenei
A reddish-brown parasitoid wasp native to North America. It targets horntail larvae in hardwood trees and uses its long ...
Malagasy Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla madagascariensis
Despite its name, this is actually a wingless female wasp covered in dense, velvety orange and black hair. Males are win...
Metaphycus Scale Parasitoid
Metaphycus helvolus
A golden-yellow parasitoid wasp that attacks black scale and other soft scale insects on citrus and olive trees. It is o...
Musk Beetle
Aromia moschata
A large, metallic green or coppery longhorn beetle that emits a rose-like musk scent. Larvae develop inside old willow t...
Netelia Ichneumon Wasp
Netelia melanura
A large orange ichneumon wasp attracted to light at night. Parasitizes noctuid moth caterpillars. Has a distinctive comp...
Nomada Cuckoo Bee
Nomada marshamella
A wasp-like cuckoo bee with red and black markings that sneaks into andrena bee nests to lay its eggs....
Oak Treehopper
Platycotis vittata
A colorful treehopper that feeds on oak twigs in eastern North America. Females exhibit maternal care by straddling thei...
Orange Caterpillar Parasite
Netelia ephippitarsus
A slender, amber-orange ichneumon wasp found across Australasia. It attaches eggs to caterpillars and the larva feeds ex...
Pacific Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla sackenii
A medium-sized velvet ant with orange and black coloring found along the Pacific coast of North America. It parasitizes ...
Painted Bee Fly
Hemipenthes morio
A dark-bodied bee fly with characteristic half-blackened wings that give it a distinctive silhouette. It is commonly see...
Painted Nomad Bee
Nomada fucata
A bright yellow and black cuckoo bee that parasitizes the nests of Andrena mining bees....
Panda Ant
Euspinolia militaris
Not actually an ant but a wingless wasp. Named for its black and white panda-like coloring. Females have an extremely pa...
Parasitic Wood Wasp
Orussus abietinus
A small, dark-bodied wasp-like insect with a flattened head and short antennae inserted below the eyes. It is among the ...
Pecan Weevil
Curculio caryae
A brown weevil with a long snout that is a significant pest of pecan and hickory trees. Larvae develop inside the nuts o...
Peruvian Parasitoid Wasp
Capitojoppa amazonica
Described in 2023 as a new genus from the hyperdiverse Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve in Peru. Part of a wave of ne...
Pteromalus Pupal Wasp
Pteromalus puparum
A small metallic-green parasitoid that attacks butterfly and moth pupae, particularly those of cabbage whites. Multiple ...
Red-banded Netelia
Netelia testacea
A slender orange-brown ichneumonid wasp active at night in summer. It is an ectoparasitoid of noctuid moth caterpillars....
Red-Tipped Tumbling Flower Beetle
Mordellina pustulata
A small tumbling flower beetle with dark elytra bearing reddish markings, found across Europe. Larvae develop inside the...
Rice Stem Borer Egg Parasitoid
Trichogramma japonicum
A minute parasitoid wasp widely used in Asian rice paddies to control stem borer moths. It is mass-reared on factitious ...
Schizonotus Chalcid
Schizonotus sieboldi
A parasitoid of mason bee larvae found across temperate Asia. It enters the sealed mud nests of Osmia bees to lay its eg...
Short-tailed Ichneumon
Ophion luteus
A nocturnal parasitoid wasp with a strongly compressed, amber-orange body. It is commonly attracted to lights at night t...
Small-headed Fly
Ogcodes pallidipennis
A round-bodied fly with a tiny head whose larva parasitizes spiders from the inside....
Spruce Budworm Parasite
Meteorus trachynotus
A small brown braconid wasp that is a key natural enemy of the spruce budworm in North American boreal forests. It suspe...
Steelblue Ichneumon
Lissopimpla excelsa
A metallic blue-black ichneumon wasp native to Australia. It is an important parasitoid of pest caterpillars including t...
Stilt-legged Fly
Rainieria antennaepes
A slender fly with banded legs that it waves to mimic parasitoid wasp antennae....
Sugarcane Borer Egg Parasitoid
Trichogramma galloi
A tiny egg parasitoid extensively used in Brazilian sugarcane fields. It is highly effective against the sugarcane borer...
Sunda Colugo Fly
Megischus bicolor
A parasitoid wasp with a slender body, extremely long ovipositor, and distinctively bicolored black and orange body. It ...
Tangle-veined Fly
Nemestrina longirostris
A fly with an extraordinarily long proboscis for feeding from deep tubular flowers....
Thick-headed Fly
Physocephala rufipes
A wasp-mimicking fly that parasitizes bumblebees by injecting eggs into them mid-flight....
Thyridanthrax Bee Fly
Thyridanthrax fenestratus
A bee fly with distinctive clear 'windows' in otherwise dark wings, found in sandy habitats across southern Europe. Larv...
Tiger Bee Fly
Xenox tigrinus
A large, dramatic bee fly with boldly patterned black and white spotted wings. It is commonly seen flying around wooden ...
Tinkerbell Fairyfly
Tinkerbella nana
One of the smallest insects ever described, named after Peter Pans Tinker Bell. Discovered in Costa Rica in 2013. Measur...
Tobacco Caterpillar Braconid
Microplitis demolitor
A small endoparasitoid wasp that injects polydnavirus along with its eggs into caterpillar hosts. It is an important nat...
Tundra Ichneumon Wasp
Ichneumon gracilicornis
A medium-sized ichneumon wasp with a black body and conspicuous yellow-banded abdomen. It has a long, slender ovipositor...
Venezuelan Pebble Toad Fly
Pantophthalmus bellardii
One of the largest flies in the world, with robust bodies reaching 40 mm and a wingspan exceeding 70 mm. The larvae deve...
Villa Bee Fly
Villa hottentotta
A striking bee fly with dark-tipped wings and a stout, densely hairy body. Its larvae are parasitoids of moth caterpilla...
Violet-legged Agapanthia
Agapanthia violacea
A slender longhorn beetle with a striking combination of violet-tinged legs and greenish-yellow pubescence on the body. ...
Wasp Nest Beetle
Metoecus paradoxus
A bizarre wedge-shaped beetle that develops as a parasitoid inside social wasp nests. Males have feathery antennae....
Yellow Ophion
Ophion obscuratus
A laterally flattened, tawny-yellow parasitoid wasp active at dusk and after dark. Its larvae develop as internal parasi...
Yellow-headed Scoliid
Campsomeriella annulata
A large dark wasp with prominent yellow head markings and smoky wings. It is a parasitoid of large scarab beetle grubs i...
Yellow-legged Ophion
Ophion scutellaris
A large orange-brown ichneumon wasp commonly attracted to light at night. Parasitizes large moth caterpillars. Has a lat...