Myrmecolacidae sp. ZRC_BDP_0018603
Male specimen. This specimen is the first male to be collected from Singapore
Specimen no. ZRCBDP0018603
LKCNHM Natural History Collection Specimen. Contact our curators for additional information.
Basic Information
Classification:
Insecta: Strepsiptera: Myrmecolacidae
Residency Status:
Native
Biology/Ecology
Biology Notes:
Strepsiptera, or twisted-wing parasites, are an enigmatic, rare, and poorly-known insect order. They are parasites of many other insect orders: strepsipteran larvae are mobile and will crawl up and into a host insect's abdomen. You can spot infected hosts by looking for tiny protrusions between the abdominal plates of the host insect. This species likely parasitizes ants. Males eventually leave the host, while females will remain in their larval form and in the host for the rest of their life.