Planthopper-parasite
Guides
Anagrus
fairyflies
Anagrus is a genus of fairyflies (Mymaridae) comprising over 90 described species, many of which are important biological control agents of agricultural pests. Adults are minute parasitoids, typically 1-2 mm in length, with coloration ranging from brown and orange to black and pale. The genus is divided into three subgenera—Anagrella, Anagrus, and Paranagrus—for taxonomic purposes. Species in this genus are specialized egg parasitoids, primarily attacking Hemiptera (leafhoppers and planthoppers), with some species also recorded from Odonata eggs. Their role in regulating populations of economically significant pests like the brown planthopper and glassy-winged sharpshooter has made them valuable in integrated pest management programs worldwide.
Bocchus
pincer wasps
Bocchus is a genus of pincer wasps in the family Dryinidae, subfamily Bocchinae. These are parasitoid wasps characterized by their distinctive chelate (pincer-like) forelegs used to capture hosts. The genus includes both extant species and fossil species preserved in Eocene amber. Extant species are known from Europe and associated with planthopper hosts (Hemiptera: Caliscelidae).
Cephalops
A genus of small flies in the family Pipunculidae with cosmopolitan distribution. Species are known to be endoparasitoids of planthoppers (Hemiptera: Delphacidae). Adult females locate hosts by detecting substrate-borne vibrations produced by host calls. The genus contains over 150 described species, with new species continuing to be described from under-sampled regions.
Cephalopsini
Cephalopsini is a tribe of big-headed flies within the family Pipunculidae. The tribe includes two genera: Cephalops and Cephalosphaera. Members of this tribe are parasitoids, with females depositing eggs into host insects. The tribe is part of the subfamily Pipunculinae.
Elenchus
Planthopper Twistwing Parasites
Elenchus is a genus of parasitic insects in the family Elenchidae, order Strepsiptera. These insects are commonly known as planthopper twistwing parasites, reflecting their host associations and their membership in the twisted-wing parasite group. The genus was established by Curtis in 1831. Strepsipterans in this genus exhibit the extreme sexual dimorphism characteristic of the order: adult males are free-living with reduced wings and halteres, while females are endoparasitic and remain within their hosts.
Elenchus koebelei
Elenchus koebelei is a species of twisted-wing parasite in the family Elenchidae. It is a parasitoid of Prokelisia, a genus of planthoppers in the family Delphacidae. The species has been documented in Florida salt marshes. As a member of Strepsiptera, it exhibits the extreme sexual dimorphism and endoparasitic lifestyle characteristic of this order.
Embolemidae
Embolemidae is a small family of solitary parasitoid wasps in the superfamily Chrysidoidea, comprising approximately 70 extant species in 2 genera (Embolemus and Ampulicomorpha, the latter sometimes treated as a junior synonym). The family exhibits striking sexual dimorphism: females are wingless and ant-mimicking, while males possess wings. Known biology is limited, but documented hosts include planthopper nymphs in the families Achilidae and Cixiidae. The family has a global distribution with fossil records extending to the Early Cretaceous.
Epipyropidae
Planthopper Parasite Moths, Planthopper Parasitic Moths, Cicada Parasitic Moths
Epipyropidae is a small family of moths whose larvae are obligate ectoparasites of planthoppers and leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea and related groups), with some species parasitizing cicadas. The family exhibits hypermetamorphosis, with first instar larvae being triungulin-like and highly mobile, while subsequent instars become sessile and highly modified for parasitic feeding. This parasitic lifestyle is unique among Lepidoptera and shared only with the closely related family Cyclotornidae. Approximately 20 species have been described worldwide, distributed across genera including Epipyrops, Epiricania, Fulgoraecia, and Epipomponia.
Fulgoraecia exigua
Planthopper Parasite Moth
Fulgoraecia exigua is a small moth in the family Epipyropidae, commonly known as the planthopper parasite moth. The species is an obligate ectoparasite of planthoppers in the family Issidae, with larvae attaching to and feeding on their hosts. Adults are non-feeding with vestigial mouthparts and short adult lifespans. First described by H. Edwards in 1882, it has been recorded across much of the eastern and central United States, with a first Canadian record documented from southern Ontario in 2021.
Pipunculus
Pipunculus is a genus of flies in the family Pipunculidae with cosmopolitan distribution. Members are internal parasites of planthoppers in the family Delphacidae (Homoptera). The genus has been documented in Europe, Australia, Fiji, and North America. At least one species, Pipunculus semifumosus, has been studied for its parasitic effects on host size and reproductive structures.
Pseudogonatopus herbarum
Pseudogonatopus herbarum is a species of dryinid wasp in the family Dryinidae. These wasps are parasitoids of planthoppers in the family Delphacidae. The species has been recorded from Europe and parts of Asia. Like other members of its genus, females possess raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing hosts.