Halictid Bee Strepsipteran vs Bee-fly Strepsipteran

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Halictid Bee Strepsipteran Bee-fly Strepsipteran
Scientific Name Halictophagus silwoodensis Stylops ater
Order Strepsiptera Strepsiptera
Family Halictophagidae Stylopidae
Size 1.0-1.5 mm (males) 2.0-3.5 mm (males)
Habitat Meadows Rivers & Streams
Diet Parasites Parasites
Regions Europe Europe
Conservation Not Evaluated Not Evaluated

Halictid Bee Strepsipteran

A tiny strepsipteran parasite of leafhoppers described from Silwood Park in England. Males have the characteristic twisted hindwings of the order.

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Did You Know?

Strepsiptera means twisted wing, referring to the way the hindwings twist during flight like helicopter blades.

Bee-fly Strepsipteran

A dark-bodied strepsipteran that parasitizes Andrena mining bees in Europe. The triungulins actively seek out host bee larvae in nest cells.

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Did You Know?

Tiny first-instar larvae ride on flowers and grab onto visiting bees for transport back to the bee's nest.