Grylloidea
Guides
Mogoplistidae
Scaly Crickets and Allies
Mogoplistidae is a family of scaly crickets within the superfamily Grylloidea, comprising over 370 species in approximately 30 genera worldwide. The family is considered monophyletic and sister to the true crickets (Gryllidae). Members are distinguished by scales covering the abdomen and parts of the thorax, resembling those of Lepidoptera. The family includes three subfamilies: Mogoplistinae, Malgasiinae (restricted to Madagascar and Indian Ocean islands), and the extinct †Protomogoplistinae known from Burmese amber.
OrthopteraGrylloideascaly-cricketscoastalbeach-specialistdriftwood-dependentrare-speciesUK-protected-speciesMediterraneanAtlantic-coastMadagascar-endemicBurmese-amber-fossilscale-coveringLepidoptera-like-scalesomnivorousnocturnallong-ovipositoregg-development-one-yearshingle-habitatcobble-beachesstrandline-invertebrateconservation-concernbeach-cleaning-threatdriftwood-burning-threatRhopalosomatidae
Rhopalosomatid Wasps
Rhopalosomatidae is a small family of aculeate wasps containing approximately 68 extant species in four genera: Rhopalosoma, Olixon, Liosphex, and Paniscomima. Adults are solitary and often ant-like in appearance. Larvae are obligate ectoparasitoids of crickets (Orthoptera: Grylloidea), attaching to the lateral side of the host between the metafemur and abdomen. The family exhibits remarkable morphological diversity, with winged species typically nocturnal and brachypterous species mainly diurnal. The family has a worldwide tropical and subtropical distribution, absent from Europe and Antarctica.