AY Honors/Insect/Neuroptera

The insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives (the group that was once known as the Planipennia). The order contains some 4000 species. Traditionally, the order also included alderflies, fishflies, dobsonflies, and snakeflies, but these are now generally considered to be separate orders (the Megaloptera and Raphidioptera). Sometimes the name Neuropteroidea (syn. Neuropterida) is used to refer to these three orders as a group.

The adults of this order possess four membranous wings, with the forewings and hindwings about the same size, and with many veins. They have chewing mouthparts, and undergo complete metamorphosis. Most are predatory, but a few exceptions occur.

Life cycle

Green lacewings lay eggs which hatch larvae called aphidlions. Green lacewing larvae are predators, and can eat hundreds of aphids and other insects at a surprisingly rapid pace. Thus they have been used with increading popularity as a method of biological control, particularly as an alternative to the use of pesticides. They are available from a number of commercial distributors but are also found in nature where favorable climate conditions prevail.

Brown lacewing larvae cover themselves in debris and dead insects as camoflague and are sometimes called trashbugs.

Taxonomy

Partial phylogeny of the order.

Life cycle of lacewings

• Superfamily Coniopterygoidea
  • Family Coniopterygidae: dustywings
• Superfamily Ithonioidea
  • Family Ithonidae: moth lacewings
• Superfamily Hemerobioidea
  • Family Chrysopidae: green lacewings, stinkflies
  • Family Dilaridae: pleasing lacewings
  • Family Hemerobiidae: brown lacewings
  • Family Polystoechotidae: giant Lacewings
  • Family Psychopsidae
• Superfamily Osmyloidea
  • Family Osmylidae
  • Family Neurorthidae
  • Family Sisyridae: spongillaflies
• Superfamily Mantispoidea
  • Family Berothidae: beaded lacewings
  • Family Mantispidae: mantidflies
• Superfamily Myrmeleontoidea
  • Family Palaeoleontidae
  • Family Ascalaphidae: ascalaphids, owlflies
  • Family Myrmeleontidae: ant-lions
  • Family Nemopteridae: spoonwings
  • Family Nymphidae

References

• Grimaldi, D. and Engel, M.S. (2005). Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-82149-5.

External links

• Illustrated database of Neuroptera (insects)

• 

  Ascalaphus libelluloides, an owlfly

• Ameisenjungfer.jpg

  Euroleon nostras, an ant-lion

• 

  Antlion larva