Stephanidae
Guides
Megischus arizonicus
Arizona Crown Wasp
Megischus arizonicus is a species of crown wasp in the family Stephanidae, first described by Townes. Originally known only from Arizona, USA, the species has since been documented in central Mexico, expanding its known range significantly. Like other stephanids, it is a parasitoid wasp associated with wood-boring beetle larvae. The species exhibits the characteristic elongated, crown-like structure on the head that gives the family its common name. Records remain sparse, with only a handful of observations documented in biodiversity databases.
Megischus brunneus
Megischus brunneus is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Stephanidae, order Hymenoptera. The genus Megischus belongs to an ancient lineage of wasps characterized by elongated, multi-segmented antennae and distinctive elongated neck-like structures. Members of this family are typically associated with wood-boring beetle larvae as hosts. Very little species-specific information has been published for M. brunneus.
Megischus californicus
Megischus californicus is a species of crown wasp in the family Stephanidae, an ancient lineage of parasitoid wasps characterized by their distinctive elongated, multi-segmented antennae. The genus Megischus represents one of the most primitive extant groups of Hymenoptera. This species is known from a single observation record, indicating it is either extremely rare, poorly sampled, or potentially extinct. Stephanidae are solitary parasitoids of wood-boring beetle larvae, using their long antennae to detect hosts within timber.
Megischus texanus
Texas Crown Wasp
Megischus texanus, commonly known as the Texas Crown Wasp, is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Stephanidae. Crown wasps are characterized by their distinctive elongated, crown-like projection on the head and their parasitoid lifestyle targeting wood-boring beetle larvae. This species represents one of relatively few documented members of this ancient wasp family in North America.
Schlettererius
Schlettererius is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Stephanidae. The best-studied species, S. cinctipes, is a parasitoid of wood-boring insects, particularly the invasive woodwasp Sirex noctilio in pine forests. Adults possess extremely long ovipositors used to drill through wood to reach host larvae. The genus has been used as a biological control agent and has shown evidence of transcontinental movement across North America, tracking the spread of its hosts.