Old-world-distribution
Guides
Cercopidae
froghoppers, spittlebugs
Cercopidae is the largest family of Cercopoidea, a group of xylem-feeding insects in the hemipteran suborder Auchenorrhyncha. Commonly called froghoppers or spittlebugs, these insects are known for the frothy protective masses produced by nymphs and the powerful jumping ability of adults. A 2023 phylogenetic study elevated the New World subfamily Ischnorhininae to full family status as Ischnorhinidae, leaving Cercopidae sensu stricto as a monophyletic Old World group comprising two subfamilies: Cercopinae and Cosmoscartinae. Members are significant agricultural pests of forage grasses, sugarcane, and turfgrass throughout tropical and subtropical regions.
Coelostoma
Coelostoma is a diverse genus of water scavenger beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, first described by Brullé in 1835. The genus comprises approximately 111 described species and is considered one of the most species-rich genera within Hydrophilidae. Members are found across the Old World, primarily in the Oriental, Afrotropical, and Palearctic regions, with limited representation in the Australian region. The genus is absent from the Nearctic and Neotropical regions, where related genera occupy similar ecological niches.
Delta
potter wasps
Delta is a genus of Old World potter wasps in the family Vespidae, subfamily Eumeninae. The genus was established by Henri Louis Frédéric de Saussure in 1855. Species are predominantly distributed through tropical Africa and Asia, with some representation in the Palearctic region. A few species have been introduced to the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. Delta wasps construct characteristic pot-shaped mud nests and provision them with paralyzed caterpillars for their developing larvae.
Diaphania indica
cucumber moth, cotton caterpillar, leaf roller
Diaphania indica is a widespread moth species occurring primarily in tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World, native to southern Asia. It is a significant agricultural pest of cucurbitaceous crops, with larvae feeding on leaves, stems, and fruits of host plants. The species has been documented on multiple continents and is subject to biological control efforts using parasitoid wasps. Laboratory studies have established detailed demographic parameters and life cycle duration.
Odontacolus
Odontacolus is a genus of tiny parasitoid wasps in the family Platygastridae, characterized by a distinctive laterally compressed metasomal horn in females. The genus was redefined in 2013 to include Cyphacolus as a junior synonym, expanding the group to encompass species from Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific. All known species are parasitoids of spider eggs, using a specialized ovipositor system to inject eggs into host egg sacs. Species range from 1 to 2.5 mm in length.
Oligotomidae
webspinners
Oligotomidae is a family of webspinners (order Embioptera) comprising approximately 6 genera and at least 40 described species. Members are characterized by silk-producing glands in the enlarged basal tarsomere of the forelegs, used to construct protective galleries. The family exhibits a predominantly Old World distribution with some introduced populations in the Americas. Notable genera include Oligotoma, Aposthonia, and Haploembia, with some species showing complex reproductive strategies including parthenogenesis.
Onitini
Onitini is a tribe of dung beetles within Scarabaeidae, erected by Frederic William Hope. The tribe comprises approximately 18 genera including the type genus Onitis and the diverse genus Cheironitis. Members are primarily distributed across arid regions of the Palaearctic and Afrotropical regions, with some species extending into the Oriental region. These beetles are associated with dung decomposition in dryland ecosystems.
Plataspidae
shield bugs, kudzu bugs, plataspid bugs
Plataspidae is a family of shield bugs in the suborder Heteroptera, native to the Old World and primarily found in tropical and subtropical regions. Members are characterized by a greatly enlarged scutellum that covers most or all of the abdomen and wings. The family includes the economically significant pest Megacopta cribraria (kudzu bug), which was introduced to North America in 2009 and has become a major pest of soybean in the southeastern United States. Most species feed on plants, particularly legumes, though some exhibit broader host ranges.
Pristocera
Pristocera is a genus of chrysidoid wasps in the family Bethylidae, distributed across the Old World. Males are distinguished by a hypopygium split into two separate plates, while females possess petiolar flaps. The genus comprises numerous species, with documented diversity in Africa, Asia, and Papua New Guinea. At least one species, Pristocera rufa, is known to be a gregarious ectoparasitoid of weevil larvae.
Stenarella
Stenarella is a genus of ichneumonid wasps in the subfamily Cryptinae, subtribe Osprynchotina. The genus is monophyletic and distributed across the Old World, with three major biogeographic clades corresponding to the Afrotropical, Palearctic, and Oriental–Australasian regions. Eighteen species are currently recognized, twelve described as new in a 2025 phylogenomic revision. Species are ectoparasitoids of aculeate Hymenoptera that construct nests using mud or earth.
Stizoides
Stizoides is a genus of kleptoparasitic sand wasps in the family Crabronidae, containing approximately 30 described species globally. The genus is notable for its unique parasitic strategy: females exploit the food caches of other solitary wasps rather than hunting their own prey. Two species occur in North America—S. renicinctus (widespread in western North America) and S. foxi (restricted to Arizona and Mexico). Most species are found in Africa, Mediterranean Europe, the Middle East, and India.
Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata
24-spot Ladybird, Alfalfa Lady Beetle
A small ladybird beetle, 3–4 mm long, with a domed shape and velvety, hair-covered wing-cases. Unlike most ladybirds, it is herbivorous, feeding on fungal mycelium rather than aphids. The species shows high variability in spot patterns, typically bearing 20–24 black spots on a dark orange background, though melanic and spotless forms occur. Winglessness is common, particularly in western populations, with flight ability varying geographically.
Tetracampidae
Tetracampidae is a small family of parasitic wasps within the superfamily Chalcidoidea, comprising approximately 44 species in 15 genera. These wasps are parasitoids of phytophagous insects, with most known hosts being flies (Diptera), particularly those that mine in plants. Some species also parasitize eggs of sawflies (Diprionidae) and beetles (Chrysomelidae, Cassididae). The family is predominantly distributed in the Old World, with species almost entirely absent from the New World. The biology of most species remains poorly studied.
Thesium
Rootthugs
Thesium is a genus of hemiparasitic flowering plants in the family Santalaceae, with approximately 325 species distributed primarily across Africa, Europe, and Asia. The genus is particularly diverse in South Africa, where roughly half of all species occur. Species in this genus are root hemiparasites that form haustorial connections to host plant roots. The genus has undergone taxonomic revision, with several segregate genera (Austroamericium, Chrysothesium, Kunkeliella, Thesidium) now subsumed within Thesium.
Tritoma
pleasing fungus beetles
Tritoma is a genus of pleasing fungus beetles (family Erotylidae) comprising over 100 species distributed worldwide, with greatest diversity in the Old World. Members are associated with fungi, with some species feeding on euagaric mushrooms and mycorrhizae. The genus is currently considered paraphyletic based on molecular evidence and may require taxonomic revision into two separate genera. Tritoma bipustulata, a common European species with distinctive black-and-red spotted coloration, has been studied for its chemical defensive system.
Walkerella
Walkerella is a genus of non-pollinating fig wasps in the family Pteromalidae, subfamily Otitesellinae. It is the most widely distributed genus within its subfamily, with species described from the Old World. Members are associated with Ficus fig trees, specifically species in subsection Conosycea of section Urostigma. Two new species were recently described from Xishuangbanna, China.