Predatory-adults
Guides
Erythraeidae
Erythraeidae is a family of predatory mites in the order Trombidiformes. Adults are free-living, fast-running predators with long legs adapted for pursuit. Larvae are ectoparasites of various arthropods, including harvestmen, spiders, bees, and grasshoppers, using a stylostome to feed on host body fluids. These mites are typically oval, relatively large for mites, reddish in color, and densely hairy. The family belongs to the superfamily Erythraeoidea within the diverse group Parasitengona, which includes velvet mites, chiggers, and water mites.
Erythraeinae
Erythraeinae is a subfamily of mites within Erythraeidae comprising 26 genera. Larvae are parasitic on other arthropods, while nymphs and adults are free-living predators of small insects. The subfamily exhibits substantial morphological differences between parasitic larvae and free-living active stages. Members have been documented across multiple continents with notable diversity in China.
Gimnomera
Gimnomera is a genus of flies in the family Scathophagidae, established by Rondani in 1866. The genus includes at least eight Nearctic species, three of which were described as new in a 2020 revision. Larvae of studied species feed on reproductive structures of specific host plants in the Scrophulariaceae family, with life cycles tightly synchronized to host phenology. Adults are predaceous on small insects.
Lebertioidea
Lebertioidea is a superfamily of water mites (Hydrachnidia) within the order Trombidiformes. Members are aquatic arachnids found primarily in freshwater habitats across the Holarctic region. The superfamily comprises approximately 13 genera distributed among several families including Sperchontidae, Anisitsiellidae, Oxidae, and Torrenticolidae. Larval stages are parasitic on various aquatic insects, while post-larval instars are free-living predators.
Podothrombiidae
Podothrombiidae is a family of terrestrial mites in the suborder Prostigmata, superfamily Trombidioidea. The family contains the genus Podothrombium, which includes 19 described species globally. Members exhibit a complex life cycle with distinct ecological phases: larvae are ectoparasitic, while post-larval stages are free-living predators.
Tenthredo
Common Sawflies
Tenthredo is a large genus of sawflies comprising over 700 species with Holarctic distribution. Adults exhibit wasp-mimicry with long antennae and lack the narrow petiole ('wasp waist') characteristic of true wasps. Larvae are herbivorous and feed on diverse host plants, with most species showing host specificity. Adults are predatory or omnivorous, feeding on smaller insects as well as pollen and nectar at flowers. The genus is notable for its complex wing venation and soft-bodied, delicate adults.