Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Species were formerly placed in Chrysopa.
C. placita (Banks, 1908) is now accepted as
Kymachrysa placita (Banks, 1908) and
K. intacta (Navás, 1912)
(1) Explanation of Names
from the Latin cērae ('wax') + -chrysa (referring to green lacewings)
from the genus Chrysopa, derived from the Latin chrys-, after the ancient Greek χρυσός, ('gold') + ōps ('face'), referring to the family's golden eyes
Numbers
6 described spp. in our area
(2)(1), 15 in North America
(1), ~60 total. North American species
(2):
1. Ceraeochrysa cincta (Schneider, 1851): FL
2.
Ceraeochrysa claveri (Navás, 1911): FL
(3)
3. Ceraeochrysa cubana (Hagen, 1861): southeastern USA (VA, NC, FL)
4. Ceraeochrysa lineaticornis (Fitch, 1855): widespread eastern (Canada: BC, QC; United States: MA, NY, PA, TN, VA, FL, TN, KS, TX)
5. Ceraeochrysa smithi (Navás, 1914): FL
6. Ceraeochrysa valida (Banks, 1895): FL, TX
Identification
Ceraeochrysa in our area are noted for their unmarked
gena; antennal
scapes marked with 1 or more red, brown, or black lines (or else colored with homogeneous reddish pigment);
(4) longer antennae; and lack of a darkened
pterostigma.
Key to adults
The following key to species is adapted from Sosa-Duque & Tauber (2021) to apply to our 6 species:
(5)
* Due to discrepancies with Tauber et al. (2000)
(3) on the color of the flagellum,
C. cincta will be treated outside of that couplet.
1a. Dorsum of scape with two red stripes reaching the toruli ....................................................... C. cincta
1b. Dorsum of scape with a single stripe or no stripe .................................................................. 2
2a. Base flagellar segments dark ............................................................................................. 3
2b. Base flagellar segments pale ............................................................................................. 5
3a. Scape and toruli entirely red .............................................................................................. C. smithi
3b. Scape and toruli not entirely red ........................................................................................ 3
4a. Scape with thin, mid-dorsal stripe reaching external margin of torulus ..................................... C. claveri
4b. Scape with broad, dorsolateral stripe ................................................................................... C. lineaticornis
5a. Maxillary palpi dark brown or black ...................................................................................... C. cubana
5b. Maxillary palpi pale, or at most amber yellow ........................................................................ C. valida
Range
New World, largely Neotropical
(1), but also most of NA
(2)
