Twisted-Wing Parasites
Order Strepsiptera
Bizarre endoparasitic insects with extreme sexual dimorphism. Males have twisted hindwings while females are often limbless and spend their entire life inside a host insect.
Species in this Order (15)
American Wasp Xenid
Xenos peckii
A parasite of paper wasps in eastern North America, commonly found in Polistes fuscatus colonies. It...
Asian Xenid
Xenos oxyodontes
A strepsipteran parasite of Ropalidia paper wasps in tropical Asia. It modifies host wasp social beh...
Bee Stylops
Stylops pacificus
A strepsipteran parasite of Andrena bees in western North America. Males emerge as tiny winged adult...
Bee-fly Strepsipteran
Stylops ater
A dark-bodied strepsipteran that parasitizes Andrena mining bees in Europe. The triungulins actively...
Cricket Strepsipteran
Caenocholax fenyesi
An unusual strepsipteran whose males parasitize ants while females parasitize crickets. This dual-ho...
European Stylops
Stylops melittae
A twisted-wing parasite of mining bees in the genus Andrena. Males are free-flying while females rem...
Halictid Bee Strepsipteran
Halictophagus silwoodensis
A tiny strepsipteran parasite of leafhoppers described from Silwood Park in England. Males have the ...
Halictid Stylops
Stylops nassonowi
A twisted-wing parasite that targets sweat bees in the family Halictidae. Parasitized bees show alte...
Hornet Strepsipteran
Xenos myrapetrus
A large strepsipteran parasite of hornets and social wasps in tropical Africa. Males have distinctiv...
Leafhopper Strepsipteran
Halictophagus calcaratus
A tiny strepsipteran that parasitizes leafhoppers in the family Cicadellidae. The first-instar larva...
Planthopper Strepsipteran
Halictophagus australensis
An Australian strepsipteran parasite of delphacid planthoppers. It alters the host's reproductive de...
Sand Wasp Strepsipteran
Paraxenos lugubris
A strepsipteran parasite of sand wasps in the genus Bembix. It is found in sandy coastal areas where...
Silverfish Strepsipteran
Mengenilla chobauti
A primitive strepsipteran that parasitizes silverfish and firebrats. Unlike most strepsipterans, the...
Sweat Bee Stylops
Stylops nevinsoni
A strepsipteran endoparasite of Andrena bees in the British Isles. Parasitized bees emerge earlier t...
Wasp Twisted-Wing Parasite
Xenos vesparum
An endoparasite of paper wasps where females spend their entire life inside the wasp host. Parasitiz...