strepsipteran parasite on bee abdomen
Females of Halictoxenos borealis, a species of strepsipteran, or twisted-wing insect, spend their lives parasitizing bees. The females have no wings, no legs, and no eyes, but they are fertile, and expose part of their bodies outside the host bee (see arrow) and release a pheromone, calling the males to them. (Photo originally published in Nakase and Kato 2021, Journal of Insect Science)