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Order Neuroptera - Antlions, Lacewings, and Allies

041212BL1 - Climacia areolaris Could this be Eremochrysa? Hemerobius humulinus Unk insect - Ululodes macleayanus Mantispid - Dicromantispa interrupta Hemerobius humulinus ? - Hemerobius humulinus Micromus subanticus? - Hemerobius Lacewing with yellow head - Yumachrysa unidentified-sp-texas
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Neuroptera (Antlions, Lacewings, and Allies)
Other Common Names
Net-winged Insects, Nerve-Winged Insects, Lacewings
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Planipennia
Neuroptera used to be treated by some workers in a broader sense, to include Planipennia (lacewings, antlions, owlflies, etc.), Megaloptera (alderflies, dobsonflies, fishflies), and Raphidioptera/Raphidiodea (snakeflies). Currently these groups are treated as separate orders of the superorder Neuropterida
latest in higher taxonomy in (1)
Explanation of Names
Neuroptera Linnaeus 1758
'veined wing'
Numbers
Largest order of the Neuropterida,* with 16 families(1), ~5500 spp. worldwide and 338 in our area(2) [*~400 spp. of Neuropterida in our area(2)]
72 spp. in 24 genera of 8 families in BC (Scudder & Cannings 2008)
Overview of our fauna (* = taxa not yet in the guide):
Order Neuroptera
Tribe Haplogeniini: *Ascalobyas · Ascaloptynx
Tribe Ululodini: Ululodes
Subfamily Dendroleontinae
Tribe Dendroleontini: Dendroleon
Subfamily Myrmeleontinae
Subfamily Nemoleontinae
Tribe Glenurini: Eremoleon · Euptilon · Glenurus · Purenleon
SUBORDER HEMEROBIIFORMIA
Family Chrysopidae
Subfamily Chrysopinae
Family Hemerobiidae
Subfamily Microminae: Micromus
Subfamily Notobellinae: Psectra
Family Mantispidae
Subfamily Symphrasinae: Plega
Size
3-80 mm
Identification
Superorder Neuropterida:
Four membranous wings: FW and HW about same size or HW a little wider at base;
wings usually held rooflike over body at rest, generally with many veins:

Antennae long, many-segmented, threadlike, pectinate or clubbed:

Tarsi 5-segmented
Cerci absent
Mouthparts chewing
ocelli present or not, depending on family
Order Neuroptera:
Forewings and hindwings similar in size and shape
Prothorax not lengthened, except in Mantispidae
Food
larvae, and often adults, predaceous
Life Cycle
Neuropterida: Larvae campodeiform (crawler), mandibles usually large. Majority terrestrial but a few aquatic. Larvae usually predaceous. Pupation usually occurs in a silken cocoon.
Neuroptera: Larvae terrestrial, except in the Sisyridae. Typical life cycle:
Remarks
Many are valuable natural enemies of pests, esp. aphids and some other homopterans
Internet References
(3)(4)(5)