Complex-life-history
Guides
Hemipenthes pullata
Hemipenthes pullata is a species of bee fly in the family Bombyliidae, first described by Coquillett in 1894. The genus Hemipenthes is distinguished by its unique larval ecology: larvae are hyper-parasitoids that develop as parasites of other parasitic insects, specifically targeting ichneumon wasps, tachinid flies, and similar parasitoids of lepidopteran caterpillars. Adult bee flies in this genus visit flowers for nectar, though they are considered flower visitors rather than effective pollinators. The species is part of the diverse North American bee fly fauna, which includes over 800 described species north of Mexico.
Trigonalidae
Trigonalidae is a family of parasitic wasps constituting the sole living members of the superfamily Trigonaloidea. With over 90 described species in 16 genera, these wasps exhibit a remarkably complex life history involving hyperparasitism. Females deposit thousands of minute eggs on or within leaves, which must be consumed by a caterpillar to initiate development. The family is divided into two subfamilies: Orthogonalinae (containing only Orthogonalys) and Trigonalinae. Trigonalidae has been proposed as the sister group to all Aculeata.