Wingless-females
Guides
Bethylidae
Flat wasps
Bethylidae is a family of aculeate wasps in the superfamily Chrysidoidea, commonly known as flat wasps due to their dorsoventrally compressed body form. The family exhibits a biology intermediate between parasitoid and predatory wasps: females sting and paralyze prey (primarily beetle and lepidopteran larvae), then oviposit on the immobilized hosts. Most species are small (2–10 mm), with females often wingless or apterous while males are always winged. The family contains eight recognized subfamilies and approximately 96 genera, with highest diversity in tropical and subtropical regions.
Chyphotes
Chyphotes is a genus of wasps in the family Chyphotidae comprising more than 50 described species distributed in the United States and Mexico. All females are wingless, and some males are also wingless. The genus is notable for its nocturnal activity pattern. Chyphotidae was formerly treated as a subfamily within Bradynobaenidae but is now recognized as a distinct family.
Dasychira grisefacta
Grizzled Tussock Moth, Pine Tussock
Dasychira grisefacta is a tussock moth in the family Erebidae, first described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1911. Males have functional wings with a wingspan of approximately 42 mm, while females are wingless. The species is associated with coniferous forests and has a broad distribution across western North America. Larvae feed on several genera of conifers including Douglas-fir, hemlock, spruce, and pine.
Gelis
Gelis is a genus of ichneumon wasps in the family Ichneumonidae, containing at least 270 described species. The genus is characterized by small, often wingless females that are parasitoids of various arthropod hosts. Some species have been documented attacking spiders, including ant-eating spiders in the genus Zodarion. The genus shows considerable diversity in form and life history across its species.
Odontophotopsis microdonta
Odontophotopsis microdonta is a species of velvet ant (Mutillidae) described by Ferguson in 1967. Males are winged and active from mid-spring through mid-autumn. The species is known from California and Nevada in the western United States. As with all Mutillidae, females are wingless and possess a powerful sting.
Photomorphus
Photomorphus is a genus of velvet ants (Mutillidae), a group of solitary wasps in which females are wingless and often ant-like in appearance. The genus was established by Viereck in 1903. At least one species, Photomorphus (Photomorphina) archboldi, has been described from central Florida based on male specimens collected in malaise traps. Females of this genus are generally poorly known or undescribed for many species.
Proctotrupidae
Proctotrupidae is a family of small parasitoid wasps in the superfamily Proctotrupoidea, comprising approximately 400 described species across more than 30 genera with an estimated total diversity of around 675-1200 species. Members are primarily endoparasitoids of coleopteran larvae, particularly in families Carabidae, Staphylinidae, and Elateridae, though some genera parasitize fungus gnats (Mycetophilidae, Sciaridae) and concealer moths (Oecophoridae). Females in many species are wingless and soil-dwelling, capable of detecting host larvae in burrows. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution with notable Gondwanan relict elements in the subfamily Austroserphinae.
Psyche
bagworm moths
Psyche is a genus of bagworm moths in the family Psychidae, established by Schrank in 1801. The genus name derives from the Greek word for 'soul' or 'mind.' Larvae construct portable cases from silk and environmental materials such as plant debris, sand, or soil particles. Adults are typically small to medium-sized moths with reduced mouthparts; females of many species are wingless.
Thynnoidea
Thynnid and Chyphotid Wasps
Thynnoidea is a superfamily of aculeate wasps comprising two families: Thynnidae (thynnid wasps) and Chyphotidae (chyphotid wasps). Members are parasitoid wasps, with females typically wingless and males winged. The superfamily contains hundreds of described species distributed across tropical and temperate regions.
Trogaspidiini
Trogaspidiini is a tribe of velvet ants (Mutillidae) characterized by morphological features of the male genitalia and body structure. The tribe includes genera such as Neotrogaspidia, which occurs across the Australasian, Oriental and Palearctic Regions. Members of this tribe exhibit complex taxonomic histories with frequent synonymies and transfers between genera.