Hypermetamorphosis
Guides
Strepsiptera
Twisted-wing Insects, Twisted-wing Parasites, Stylops
Strepsiptera is an order of obligate endoparasitic insects comprising approximately 600 described species across 11 extant families. The group exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism: males are free-living, short-lived adults with reduced forewings modified into halteres and large fan-shaped hindwings, while females are neotenic, larviform, and remain permanently within their insect hosts. All strepsipterans are parasites of other insects, with documented hosts spanning seven orders including Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Orthoptera, Blattodea, Mantodea, Zygentoma, and Diptera. The order is believed to be most closely related to Coleoptera, forming the clade Coleopterida.
Tricrania
Tricrania is a genus of Nearctic blister beetles (Meloidae: Nemognathinae) containing at least three described species, including T. sanguinipennis and T. stansburyi. These beetles are obligate cleptoparasites of solitary bees, with highly modified life cycles involving hypermetamorphosis and flightless adults. The genus is notable for its specialized larval stages that exploit bee nest aggregations.
Tricrania sanguinipennis
Blood-winged Blister Beetle
Tricrania sanguinipennis is a flightless blister beetle (family Meloidae) native to eastern North America. Adults are 9–15 mm long with bright red, leathery elytra that conceal vestigial wings. The species is a parasitoid of solitary bees in the genus Colletes, particularly Colletes inaequalis. Its life cycle involves hypermetamorphosis, with a mobile triungulin larva that hitchhikes on male bees to access underground nest cells. The beetle has been documented from Saskatchewan to northern Florida, with Kansas marking its western limit.
Tricrania stansburyi
Stansbury's Blister Beetle
Tricrania stansburyi is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae. It is a cleptoparasite of solitary bees, specifically known to parasitize the mason bee Osmia lignaria propinqua. The species exhibits hypermetamorphosis, with triungulin larvae attaching to host bees to gain entry to nest cells. It is found in North America and is one of at least two species in the genus Tricrania.
Trigonodera schaefferi
wedge-shaped beetle
Trigonodera schaefferi is a species of wedge-shaped beetle in the family Ripiphoridae, a family of beetles with unusual life histories involving parasitism or hypermetamorphosis. The species is known from North America and was described by Rivnay in 1929. Ripiphorid beetles are generally uncommon and poorly known, with most species having specialized host associations that remain incompletely documented.
Zonitis cribricollis
Zonitis cribricollis is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae. The species was described by LeConte in 1853 and is known from North America. As a member of Nemognathinae, adults likely possess elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for feeding on flower nectar. The species name 'cribricollis' refers to a punctured or sieve-like collar (pronotum).
Zonitis perforata
Zonitis perforata is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae, first described by Casey in 1891. The species is known from North America and belongs to the subfamily Nemognathinae, which is characterized by elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding. Like other members of the genus Zonitis, it is likely associated with flowers of composite plants (Asteraceae), though specific host records for this species are limited.