Explanation of Names
Author of family is Newman (apparently
Edward Newman,1801-1876), 1853. From Old World genus
Dilar (
Rambur, 1838), that genus perhaps (?) named after the
DÃlar region of Spain. (The type species of the genus,
Dilar nevadensis, is known from Spain--
Lacewing Digital Library, other Internet searches.)
Numbers
2 species in 1 genus in North America listed at
nearctica.comIdentification
adults resemble small brown moths: wings rounded, hairy, (and in Nallachius americanus, transparent except for many light brown spots, a number of which coalesce to form irregular bands across the wing); costal cross veins of wings not forked; male antennae pectinate; female ovipositor long, recurved over abdomen
larvae are very elongate, and live under bark
Range
Nallachius americanus: eastern United States - Maryland and Virginia to Florida, west to Texas, north to Michigan
Habitat
larvae live under bark of trees
adults are attracted to light
Season
adults from May to at least July
Food
larvae are presumed to feed on beetles (esp. eggs, larvae) under bark
Remarks
rarely seen or collected
For the phylogenetic relationship of the
Dilaridae to other neuropteran families see Grimaldi & Engel
(1)Print References
Borror and White, p. 143
(3)
Johnson and Triplehorn (Borror and DeLong)
(4)
Marshall, p. 249, p. 255--photo of specimen--
Nallachius americanus (5)
F. M. Carpenter. Taxonomic Notes on the Dilaridae (Neuroptera). Psyche 54:100-109, 1947. Available as
html,
PDF.
Internet References
brief overview including distribution and common name reference (Lionel Stange, Florida State Collection of Arthropods)
presence in Virginia; citation of article by T.P. Kuhar, 1995 (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State U.)
presence in Texas; list (John Oswald, Texas A&M U.)
Dilaridae Key--Lacewing Digital Library (developer version--preliminary?)
