Nemopteridae
Appearance
Nemopteridae Temporal range:
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Nemoptera sp. - Muséum of Toulouse | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Neuroptera |
Superfamily: | Myrmeleontoidea |
Family: | Nemopteridae Burmeister 1839 |
Subfamilies | |
Nemopteridae, the spoonwings, are a family of neuropteran insects. They are also called thread-winged antlions. They are found in the Ethiopian, Palearctic, Australasian and Neotropical realms but absent in North America (though a fossil has been found in Colorado).[1]
Their flight is delicate and they have a circling flight to avoid walls when they are trapped indoors. The long streamer is conspicuous when the insects are flying and these are the elongated and spatulate hindwings.
Male nemopterids have a bulla on the wing usually along the margin or wing base that is used to disperse pheromone.[1]
Taxonomy
Florissant Formation
There are two distinct subfamilies in the family Nemopteridae:
- Subfamily Crocinae, mostly nocturnal and crepuscular species with often a narrow habitat preference. They are found in arid desert zones and have a wide distribution along the southern fringes of the west Palearctic and Western Asia, as well as in dry Neotropical, Afrotropical, and Australian areas.
- Subfamily Nemopterinae – diurnal, with a greater diversity. Genera include:
Other nemopterid genera include:
- Brevistoma
- Chasmoptera
- †Cratonemopteryx Martins-Neto 1992 – Crato Formation, Brazil, Aptian
- Derhynchia
- Halter
- Halterina
- Knersvlaktia
- †Krika Martins-Neto 1992 – Crato Formation, Brazil, Aptian
- Lertha
- Nemeura
- Nemia
- Nemopistha
- Nemopterella
- Palmipenna
- Parasicyoptera
- Pterocroce
- †Roesleriana Martins-Neto 1997 – Crato Formation, Brazil, Aptian
- Savigniella
- Semirhynchia
- Sicyoptera
- Stenorrhachus
References
External links
Media related to Nemopteridae at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Nemopteridae at Wikispecies
- Taxonomy – Nemopteridae
- Larval Stages of European Nemopterinae, with Systematic Considerations on the Family Nemopteridae (Insecta, Neuroptera). Also available on Researchgate