Vampyrella is a genus of amoebae belonging to the vampyrellid cercozoans usually ranging from 30-60 µm. Members of the genus alternate between two life stages: a free-living trophozoite stage and a cyst stage in which mitosis occurs. This taxon has received a great deal of attention due to their peculiar feeding behaviour of perforating the cell wall of algal cells and drawing out the contents for nourishment.

The family Vampyrellidae is a subgroup of the order Vampyrellida within the supergroup Rhizaria. Based on molecular sequence data, the family currently comprises the genus Vampyrella, and maybe several other vampyrellid amoebae. The cells are naked and characterised by radiating, filose pseudopodia and an orange colouration of the main cell body.