Strepsiptera, an order of entomophagous parasitoids, are one of the most difficult insects to collect, and this has deterred people from studying this fascinating group of insects. There are only two free-living stages in Strepsiptera: the 1st instar planidium larva and the adult male, except in the basal family Mengenillidae, where both males and females emerge to pupate externally from the host. For this reason, collecting Strepsiptera is difficult at the best of times.
