Leafhopper-parasitoid
Guides
Anteon nebulosum
Anteon nebulosum is a species of dryinid wasp in the family Dryinidae, a group of solitary parasitoid wasps. Members of the genus Anteon are known to parasitize leafhoppers (Cicadellidae), with females typically possessing raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing hosts. The specific epithet "nebulosum" suggests a cloudy or indistinct appearance, though detailed species-level documentation remains limited. Like other dryinids, this species likely plays a role in regulating leafhopper populations in natural ecosystems.
Aphelopus varicornis
Aphelopus varicornis is a species of dryinid wasp in the family Dryinidae, a group of parasitoid wasps known for attacking leafhoppers and planthoppers. The genus Aphelopus is characterized by females possessing raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing hosts. This species belongs to a family widely used in biological control programs targeting agricultural pest leafhoppers.
Deinodryinus atriventris
Deinodryinus atriventris is a species of dryinid wasp first described by Cresson in 1872. Members of the genus Deinodryinus are ectoparasitoids of Hemiptera, particularly leafhoppers and planthoppers (Cicadellidae and Fulgoroidea). The species is part of the family Dryinidae, a group characterized by females that possess raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing host insects. Observations of this species are sparse, with limited published biological data available.
Dryinidae
Pincer Wasps
Dryinidae is a cosmopolitan family of solitary wasps comprising over 1900 described species across 11-15 subfamilies and 50-57 genera. The family name derives from the Greek 'drys' (oak), as the first species was collected on an oak tree in Spain. Adults are small to medium-sized wasps (0.9-13 mm) with distinctive morphological features including a constricted 'wasp waist,' 10-segmented antennae, and often pronounced sexual dimorphism. The larvae are obligate parasitoids of nymphs and adults of Auchenorrhyncha (leafhoppers, planthoppers, and cicadas).
Gonatocerus
fairyfly
Gonatocerus is a speciose genus of fairyflies (Mymaridae) comprising at least 260 described species. These minute parasitoid wasps are primary egg parasitoids of leafhoppers and sharpshooters (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), with several species extensively studied for biological control of agricultural pests, particularly the glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis). The genus is divided into five subgenera: Gonatocerus (nominate), Lymaenon, Cosmocomoidea, Gastrogonatocerus, and Gahanopsis, with species distributed across all major biogeographic regions.
Gonatopodinae
pincer wasps
Gonatopodinae is a subfamily of dryinid wasps comprising 17 genera, including the diverse genus Gonatopus. Females are wingless and ant-like in appearance, while males possess wings. A defining feature of females is the presence of a chela (pincer-like structure) on each foreleg, used to capture hosts. All known species are parasitoids of leafhoppers (Cicadellidae).
Ismaridae
Ismaridae is a small, relictual family of parasitoid wasps in the order Hymenoptera. The family contains two extant genera: Ismarus, with approximately 50–59 described species worldwide, and the fossil genus Lubomirus from Eocene amber. All species with known biology are hyperparasitoids that parasitize Dryinidae, which are themselves parasitoids of leafhoppers, planthoppers, and treehoppers. Formerly classified as a subfamily of Diapriidae, Ismaridae was elevated to family status based on distinct morphological differences, particularly the absence of a facial projection for antennal insertion and variable fusion of metasomal terga.
Mymaridae
Fairy Wasps, Fairyflies
Mymaridae, commonly known as fairy wasps or fairyflies, is a family of microscopic chalcidoid wasps containing approximately 100 genera and 1,400 described species distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical regions. Members are among the smallest known insects, with body lengths ranging from 0.2 to 1.5 mm; the smallest species, Dicopomorpha echmepterygis, measures only 0.139 mm and is the smallest known insect. All known species are solitary, idiobiont endoparasitoids of insect eggs, with hosts primarily in Hemiptera (especially leafhoppers, planthoppers, and true bugs), Coleoptera, and Psocodea. The family is economically significant as biological control agents for agricultural pests, particularly for leafhoppers that vector plant diseases.
Oligosita
Oligosita is a genus of minute egg parasitoid wasps in the family Trichogrammatidae, established by Walker in 1851. Members of this genus are cosmopolitan in distribution and have been documented attacking eggs of diverse host groups including Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, and Thysanoptera. Specific species have been recorded as parasitoids of leafhopper eggs (Cicadellidae) in agricultural and natural systems across Italy, China, and North America. The genus is characterized by its small body size typical of trichogrammatids and distinctive morphological features used in species-level identification.