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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Antlions, Lacewings, and Allies (Neuroptera) » Lacewings and Allies (Hemerobiiformia) » Pleasing Lacewings (Dilaridae)

Family Dilaridae - Pleasing Lacewings

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Remarks · Print References · Works Cited

Pleasing Lacewing - Nallachius americanus - male

Moth? Fly? not sure what kind of bug - Nallachius americanus - male

Identification? - Nallachius americanus - male

what am I? - Nallachius americanus - male

pleasing lacewing - Nallachius americanus

Arizona Pleasing Lacewing - Nallachius pulchellus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Neuroptera (Antlions, Lacewings, and Allies)

Suborder Hemerobiiformia (Lacewings and Allies)

Family Dilaridae (Pleasing Lacewings)

Explanation of Names

Dilaridae Newman 1853

From Old World genus Dilar Rambur 1838, a genus named after the Dílar region of Spain(1)

Numbers

2 spp. of a single genus in our area(2), >70 spp. in 4 genera worldwide(3)

Identification

Larvae very elongate:

Adults resemble small brown moths: male antennae pectinate, female filiform; ovipositor recurved over abdomen:

N. americanus ♂

N. pulchellus ♀

Our species can be separated by wing venation (N. americanus vs N. pulchellus); genitalia; and range(4)(5)

Range

One widely distributed sp. (se. US to TX north to MI), and one restricted to AZ(2)

Habitat

Larvae under bark; adults come to lights

Season

May to at least July

Food

Larvae are presumed to feed on beetles and ants (esp. eggs, larvae) under bark

Remarks

Relationships to other neuropteran families discussed in(6)

Print References

Works Cited

1.	Bibliography of the Neuropterida (by J.D. Oswald)

2.	Species catalog of the Neuroptera, Megaloptera, and Raphidioptera of America North of Mexico Penny N.D., Adams P.A., Stange L.A. 1997. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 50: 39‒114.

3.	Neuropterida Species of the World catalogue (by J.D. Oswald)

4.	A revision of the Nearctic Hemerobiidae, Berothidae, Sisyridae, Polystoechotidae and Dilaridae (Neuroptera) Carpenter F.M. 1940. Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts and Sciences 74: 193-280.

5.	A guide to the lacewings (Neuroptera) of Costa Rica Norman D. Penny (author & editor), Kevin M. Hoffman, Martin Meinander, Victor J. Monserrat, Lionel A. Stange. 2002. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 53(12): 161-457.

6.	Evolution of the Insects David Grimaldi and Michael S. Engel. 2005.

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 18 July, 2006 - 10:48am
Additional contributions by cotinis, Hartmut Wisch, Aaron Schusteff, v belov
Last updated 25 July, 2023 - 4:46pm

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