Bee Stylops vs Twisted-Winged Parasitoid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Bee Stylops Twisted-Winged Parasitoid
Scientific Name Stylops pacificus Elenchus tenuicornis
Order Strepsiptera Strepsiptera
Family Stylopidae Elenchidae
Size 2.0-3.5 mm (males) 1-3 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Parasites Parasites
Regions North America Europe, Asia
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Bee Stylops

A strepsipteran parasite of Andrena bees in western North America. Males emerge as tiny winged adults that live for only a few hours.

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Did You Know?

Male strepsipterans have the shortest adult lifespan of any insect, often living less than five hours.

Twisted-Winged Parasitoid

A minute strepsipteran that parasitizes planthoppers of the family Delphacidae. Males have fan-shaped hind wings and raspberry-like compound eyes unique among insects.

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Did You Know?

Strepsiptera have unique compound eyes with far fewer but much larger individual lenses than any other insect, resembling a cluster of berries.