Hymenoptera is one of the larger orders of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. The name refers to the membranous wings of the insects, and is derived from the Ancient Greek (humẽn): membrane and (pteron): wing. The hindwings are connected to the forewings by a series of hooks called hamuli. Females typically have a special ovipositor for inserting eggs into hosts or otherwise inaccessible places. The ovipositor is often modified into a stinger. The young develop through complete metamorphosis — that is, they have a worm-like larval stage and an inactive pupal stage before they mature.

Coleoptera comprise the greatest number of described species (ca. 300,000) of any order, and occur in all habitats except the depths of salty seas. Crowson (1981) reviewed the morphology and biology of Coleoptera including a chapter on predaceous beetles. Balduf (1935) extensively covered the literature on the biologies of entomophagous Coleoptera up to 1933. Keys to larvae of families and many subfamilies of the order have been written by Klausnitzer (1978) and Lawrence (1991a), but little is known about the ecological importance of the many species that live in soil and in water. Even the prey spectra of many predaceous families are poorly known. However, some of the most spectacular successes in classical biological control have involved the introduction and establishment of predaceous Coleoptera, and the roles that various endemic entomophagous Coleoptera play in the natural biological control of their prey are slowly being revealed.

Lepidoptera is an order of insect that includes moths and butterflies. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies. Members of the order are referred to as lepidopterans. A person who collects or studies this order is referred to as a lepidopterist. This order has more than 180,000 species in 128 families and 47 superfamilies. The name is derived from Ancient Greek (scale) and (wing). Estimates of species suggest that the order may have more species and may be among the largest two or three orders, along with the Hymenoptera and the Coleoptera.