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:
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|---|---|
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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 | |
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.
The larvae are predators feeding on small insects including ants. The adults feed on nectar and pollen.[2]
Male nemopterids have a bulla on the wing usually along the margin or wing base that is used to disperse pheromone.[1]
Taxonomy
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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
edit- ^ a b 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.
- ^ KRENN, Harald W.; GEREBEN-KRENN, Barbara-Amina; STEINWENDER, Bernhardt M.; POPOV, Alexi (2008-05-15). "Flower visiting Neuroptera: Mouthparts and feeding behaviour of Nemoptera sinuata (Nemopteridae)". European Journal of Entomology. 105 (2): 267–277. doi:10.14411/eje.2008.037. ISSN 1210-5759.
External links
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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
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