Family Polystoechotidae - Giant Lacewings

Classification · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Works Cited

Polystoechotes punctata? 01a - Polystoechotes punctata

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Neuroptera (Antlions, Lacewings and Allies)

Family Polystoechotidae (Giant Lacewings)

Numbers

Nearctica.com and ITIS list two genera, each with one species:

Platystoechotes Carpenter 1940: Platystoechotes lineatus Carpenter 1940

Polystoechotes Burmeister 1839: Polystoechotes punctata (or punctatus) Fabricius 1793 (as Semblis)

Worldwide, there are only four species (Oswald, 1998).

Size

Length to over 50 mm

Identification

Wing venation of Polystoechotes punctata:

Range

Quoting from Oswald (1998), the four species in this family (two North American) range as follows:

Fontecilla graphicus--Chile

Platystoechotes lineatus--USA, California

Polystoechotes punctatus--North America from southern Canada south to Panama

Polystoechotes gazullai--Chile

Life Cycle

Little is known of the life history of this family.

Remarks

Polystoechotes punctata (or punctatus) was formerly found through eastern North America--it had declined and disappeared from the eastern part of its range by the year 1950. Now it occurs only in the west (1).

Print References

Marshall, p. 250, p. 255--photo of specimen of Polystoechotes punctatus (1)

Oswald, J.D. (1998). Rediscovery of Polystoechotes Gazullai Navas (Neuroptera: Polystoechotidae) Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 100(3): 389-394, (PDF)

Works Cited

1.	Insects: Their Natural History And Diversity: With a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America By Stephen A. Marshall

Contributed by Cotinis on 23 March, 2007 - 10:10pm
Last updated 30 June, 2009 - 8:05am

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