Planthopper-parasitoid
Guides
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).
Eudorylini
Eudorylini is a tribe of big-headed flies within the family Pipunculidae. The tribe comprises at least eight described genera, including the type genus Eudorylas. Members of this tribe are parasitoids, with larvae developing inside other insects. The tribe is distinguished from related groups by specific morphological characteristics of the head and genitalia.
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.