Nemopteridae

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]

Nemopteridae
Temporal range:
Nemoptera sp. - Muséum of Toulouse
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Neuroptera
Superfamily: Myrmeleontoidea
Family: Nemopteridae
Burmeister 1839
Subfamilies
  • Crocinae
  • Nemopterinae

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
Chasmoptera hutti
Marquettia americana
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.
  • Afghanocroce
  • Amerocroce
  • Anacroce
  • Apocroce
  • Austrocroce
  • Carnarviana
  • Concroce
  • †Cretocroce Lu et al. 2019 – Cenomanian Burmese amber, Myanmar
  • Croce
  • Dielocroce
  • Josandreva
  • Laurhervasia
  • Moranida
  • Necrophylus
  • Pterocroce
  • Pastranaia
  • Thysanocroce
  • Tjederia
  • Veurise
  • 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
  1. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, 2nd edition. Volume 3, Insects, edited by Michael Hutchins, Arthur V. Evans, Rosser W. Garrison, and Neil Schlager. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, 2003.


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