Strepsiptera
Mengenillidae
Mengeidae
Stylopidae
Bohartillidae
Corioxenidae
Halictophagidae
Callipharixenidae
Elenchidae
Myrmecolacidae
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The
Strepsiptera are a small (~300 species) order of
insects. All of them are
parasites in other insects; their hosts include
bees,
wasps,
silverfish,
cockroaches, and bugs. There are nine families:
- Mengenillidae
- Mengeidae
- Stylopidae
- Bohartillidae
- Corioxenidae
- Halictophagidae
- Callipharixenidae
- Elenchidae
- Myrmecolacidae
Male Strepsiptera have wings, legs, eyes, and antennae, and look like ordinary insects, though they generally have no useful mouthparts. Females never leave their hosts, except in the Mengenillidae, and have no wings.
Strepsipteran eyes are unlike those of any other insect. Instead of
compound eyes consisting of hundreds of
ommatidia, each of which sees one pixel, the strepsipteran eyes consist of a few dozen lenses, each with its own individual
retina.
The order is named for the hind wings, which are held at a twisted angle when at rest. The forewings are reduced to
halteres.
Strepsiptera present an enigma to taxonomists. Some believe they are the sister group to the beetle families Meloidae and Rhipiphoridae, which have similar parasitic development and forewing reduction; some say they are the sister group to the
beetles; some say they are the sister group to the
flies, which have hindwing halteres.
