Caterpillar-parasite
Guides
Agathidini
Agathidini is a tribe of braconid parasitoid wasps within the subfamily Agathidinae. Members are found primarily in Southeast Asia, with particular diversity in Thailand. The tribe has undergone significant taxonomic revision, with ten new genera described in 2017 to address previous issues of species being placed in 'dumping ground' genera. Females lay eggs inside early-stage caterpillars of various moths, with larvae developing internally and consuming the host before it pupates.
Agathis longipalpus
A small parasitoid wasp in the subfamily Agathidinae, characterized by an elongated face and long mouthparts. Adults are known to visit flowers to feed on nectar using these extended palps. Females are internal parasitoids of caterpillars, with larvae developing inside host larvae. The species is part of a group frequently noted for red and black coloration.
Agathis malvacearum
Agathis malvacearum is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, subfamily Agathidinae. It is a small wasp, measuring approximately 6–10 mm, with distinctive red and black coloration and an elongated, narrow face characteristic of the genus Agathis. The species is known to visit flowers for nectar and to parasitize caterpillars as part of its life cycle. It has been recorded from Europe, Northern Asia, and North America.
Aleiodes
mummy-wasps, Common Mummy Wasps
Aleiodes is a large cosmopolitan genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Braconidae, commonly known as mummy-wasps. The genus was established by Constantin Wesmael in 1838 and contains thousands of described species, with exceptional diversity in the Western Hemisphere. Females are solitary koinobiont endoparasitoids that attack caterpillars, laying eggs inside living hosts. The developing wasp larvae consume the host from within, eventually killing it and causing the remains to harden into a distinctive 'mummy' from which the adult emerges.
Aleiodes burrus
Aleiodes burrus is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, first described by Cresson in 1869. Like other members of the genus Aleiodes, it is a koinobiont endoparasitoid of caterpillars. The species is part of a large genus containing numerous species that mummify their hosts. Specific biological details for A. burrus remain poorly documented in published literature.
Aleiodes granulatus
Aleiodes granulatus is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, subfamily Rogadinae. It was described by DeGant in 1930. Like other members of the genus Aleiodes, it is a koinobiont endoparasitoid of lepidopteran caterpillars, with larvae developing inside living hosts before eventually killing and mummifying them. The specific epithet 'granulatus' refers to a granular surface texture, likely of the body integument.
Aleiodes laphygmae
Aleiodes laphygmae is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, originally described by Viereck in 1912. Like other members of the genus Aleiodes, it is a koinobiont endoparasitoid that develops inside host caterpillars. The species is part of a diverse genus containing numerous recently described species from tropical regions, many of which exhibit distinctive mummification behaviors in their hosts.
Aleiodes sanctihyacinthi
Aleiodes sanctihyacinthi is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, originally described by Provancher in 1880. As a member of the genus Aleiodes, it is part of a diverse group known for their distinctive mummification of caterpillar hosts. The species epithet references Saint-Hyacinthe, a location in Quebec, Canada, reflecting its North American origin. Very few documented observations of this species exist in public databases.
Aleiodes scrutator
Aleiodes scrutator is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, subfamily Rogadinae. First described by Thomas Say in 1836, this species belongs to a genus known for 'mummy-making' behavior, where the wasp larva develops inside a caterpillar host and eventually kills it, leaving behind a hardened, mummified remains. Like other Aleiodes species, A. scrutator is a koinobiont endoparasitoid of lepidopteran larvae. The species has been documented in North America with a small number of iNaturalist observations, though detailed biological studies specific to this species appear limited in the available literature.
Aleiodes stigmator
Stigmata Mummy Wasp
Aleiodes stigmator is a parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, first described by Thomas Say in 1824. Like other members of the genus Aleiodes, it is a koinobiont endoparasitoid that develops inside living caterpillars, eventually killing and mummifying its host. The species has been recorded in the northeastern United States, including Vermont. It belongs to a diverse genus containing over 100 described species, many of which are understudied tropical taxa.
Aleiodes texanus
Aleiodes texanus is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, first described by Cresson in 1869. Like other members of the genus Aleiodes, it is a koinobiont endoparasitoid that develops inside host caterpillars, eventually killing and mummifying them. The species is known from limited records, with at least one observation documented on iNaturalist. The genus Aleiodes has been extensively studied in tropical regions, with many new species described from Ecuador and other Neotropical areas, though A. texanus appears to be a more temperate North American species based on its original description.
Belvosia
Belvosia is a genus of tachinid flies (Diptera: Tachinidae) in the tribe Goniini. The genus contains over 100 species distributed across the New World from Canada to Argentina. Belvosia species are parasitoids of caterpillars, with females laying microtype eggs on host food plant foliage that are ingested by feeding larvae. A 2023 revision described 33 new species from Costa Rica, bringing the total from 72 to 107 species.
Cotesia
Cotesia is a genus of braconid wasps widely recognized for their role as parasitoids of caterpillars. Female wasps use an ovipositor to deposit eggs inside host caterpillars, and simultaneously inject polydnaviruses that suppress the host's immune system. Developing wasp larvae feed on host tissues, then emerge through the skin and spin white silk cocoons on the exterior of the caterpillar. Several species are employed in biological control programs against agricultural pests.
Cotesia empretiae
Saddleback Caterpillar Parasitoid Wasp
Cotesia empretiae is a small parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae that specializes in attacking caterpillars, particularly the saddleback caterpillar (Acharia stimulea). Females hunt actively on foliage, using their ovipositor to deposit eggs inside host caterpillars. The wasp larvae develop internally, eventually emerging through the host's skin to spin characteristic white silk cocoons on the exterior. Like other Cotesia species, this wasp transmits a polydnavirus during oviposition that suppresses the host's immune system, enabling successful parasitoid development.
Cotesia hemileucae
Cotesia hemileucae is a parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae that specializes in attacking caterpillars. It is a koinobiont endoparasitoid, meaning it develops inside a living host. The species is known to parasitize the saddleback caterpillar (Acharia stimulea), a stinging limacodid caterpillar. Like other Cotesia species, it employs polydnaviruses to suppress the host immune system, enabling its larvae to develop successfully.
Cremnops comstocki
Pegasus wasp
Cremnops comstocki is a species of braconid wasp in the subfamily Agathidinae. Like other members of the genus Cremnops, it is known to be a parasitoid of caterpillars in the families Pyralidae and Crambidae. The species was described by Morrison in 1917 and occurs in North America. Members of this genus are sometimes called 'Pegasus wasps' due to their distinctive elongated, horse-like head shape.
Cremnops crassifemur
Cremnops crassifemur is a braconid wasp in the subfamily Agathidinae, first described by Muesebeck in 1927. Like other members of its genus, it is a parasitoid wasp that attacks caterpillars. Species in this genus are relatively large compared to many other braconids and possess distinctive morphological features.
Cremnops haematodes
Cremnops haematodes is a species of braconid wasp in the subfamily Agathidinae, first described by Brullé in 1846. It was previously known under the synonym C. nigrosternum (Morrison, 1917) until a 2015 revision synonymized the two names. Like other members of its genus, it is a parasitoid wasp targeting caterpillars, particularly those in the families Pyralidae and Crambidae. The species occurs in the Caribbean and North America.
Glypta ralla
Glypta ralla is a species of ichneumonid wasp described by Dasch in 1988. Members of the genus Glypta are known as parasitoid wasps that attack caterpillars, with females laying eggs inside host larvae. The species belongs to a large group of parasitoids whose immature stages develop by consuming their host from the inside, ultimately killing it. Very few specific details have been published about this particular species.
Habronyx
Habronyx is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Ichneumonidae. Adults are approximately 30 mm in length. Species in this genus are internal parasitoids of Lepidopteran larvae, with females laying eggs inside caterpillars using their ovipositor. The genus contains over 50 described species distributed across Europe, Australia, and the Americas.
Homolobinae
Homolobinae is a subfamily of braconid parasitoid wasps containing three genera: Exasticolus, Homolobus, and Westwoodiella. Members are relatively large braconids, often nocturnal, and function as koinobiont endoparasitoids of caterpillars. The subfamily was previously expanded to include Charmontinae as a tribe. They can be distinguished from similar Macrocentrinae by the presence of an occipital carina.
Homolobus
Homolobus is a genus of braconid wasps in the subfamily Homolobinae, tribe Homolobini. These moderate to large parasitoid wasps (4.4–14.6 mm body length) are characterized by distinctive wing venation and occipital carina. The genus contains approximately 55 species distributed across five subgenera and has a cosmopolitan distribution. They are endoparasitoids of caterpillars, particularly those in the families Noctuidae and Geometridae.
Netelia
Orange Ichneumon Wasp, Netelia Wasp
Netelia is a large genus of ichneumonid wasps in the subfamily Tryphoninae, comprising over 330 described species grouped into 12 subgenera. These medium to large wasps are typically orange to brownish-yellow in coloration with conspicuously long antennae and legs. Females possess a prominent ovipositor used to parasitize caterpillar hosts. Unlike many ichneumonids, Netelia females can deliver a painful sting when handled carelessly, using it to temporarily paralyze hosts before egg deposition. The genus is cosmopolitan in distribution and frequently attracted to artificial lights at night.
Paradejeania rutilioides nigrescens
Spiny Tachinid Fly, Hedgehog Fly
Paradejeania rutilioides nigrescens is a subspecies of the spiny tachinid fly, a large, robust parasitoid fly in the family Tachinidae. It is distinguished from the nominate subspecies by darker coloration. The species is known from western North America, where adults are active in late summer and fall, commonly visiting flowers of rabbitbrush and other late-season blooms. Like other tachinids, it parasitizes caterpillars, with documented hosts including tiger moths in the family Erebidae.
Promicrogaster
Promicrogaster is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Braconidae, comprising over 40 described species with a cosmopolitan distribution. Members are small wasps that develop as endoparasitoids of caterpillars (Lepidoptera larvae). The genus was established by Brues and Richardson in 1913.
Telothyria
Telothyria is a genus of tachinid flies established by van der Wulp in 1890. The genus contains approximately 50 described species, with 25 new species described in 2020 from Costa Rica alone. All studied species are parasitoids of caterpillars, specifically targeting two lepidopteran families. The genus is distributed almost exclusively in the Neotropical region.
Therion morio
none
Therion morio is a parasitic ichneumon wasp in the family Ichneumonidae. Females possess a short, spine-like ovipositor used exclusively for laying eggs inside caterpillar hosts, not for defense. The species is widespread across North America, ranging from Nova Scotia to Florida and west to Washington, Nevada, Kansas, and Mexico. It is considered a beneficial biological control agent of pest caterpillars, particularly the Fall Webworm (Hyphantria cunea).
Uramyini
Uramyini is a tribe of tachinid flies (Diptera: Tachinidae) within the subfamily Dexiinae, distributed in the New World. Members are characterized by a distinctive combination of morphological traits including bare prosternum, bare arista, haired eyes, and a cylindrical body plan. The tribe has been documented to contain parasitoid species that attack caterpillars, particularly those in the family Megalopygidae. Taxonomic placement of Uramyini remains under discussion, with some evidence suggesting it may represent a nested sub-clade within Voriini.
Winthemia quadripustulata
Red-Tailed Tachina
Winthemia quadripustulata is a species of tachinid fly (family Tachinidae) native to North America and parts of Europe. As a parasitoid, it has been documented as an internal parasite of caterpillars, specifically including larvae of the White-lined Sphinx moth (Hyles lineata). The species is one of several Winthemia flies known to attack sphingid caterpillars.