Nature Atlas

How Nature Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Specy

Twisted-wing Parasite

Insects

Twisted-wing parasites are insects of the order Strepsiptera, internal parasites of other insects such as bees, wasps, leafhoppers and planthoppers, and one of the most extreme examples of sexual dimorphism in the animal kingdom. Males are short-lived, free-flying insects whose hindwings alone provide flight while their forewings are reduced to small twisted, club-like structures that give the order its name; females of most species remain wingless, legless and permanently embedded within their host's body for their entire life, only ever exposing a small part of themselves to release pheromones and later larvae.

Facts
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Adult male Strepsiptera have eyes unlike those of any other insect, resembling the eyes found in the trilobite group Phacopina 1
Scientific Name
Strepsiptera 1
Sources
1. Strepsiptera - Wikipedia
  • Introduction
    The Strepsiptera, or twisted-winged parasites are an order of parasitic insects
  • Description section
    Adult male Strepsiptera have eyes unlike those of any other insect, resembling the eyes found in the trilobite group Phacopina
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.