Neuroptera
Net-winged insects including lacewings, antlions, and mantidflies.
Neuroptera, from Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron) meaning 'nerve' and πτερόν (pterón) meaning 'wing', also known as net-winged insects, is an order of insects that includes lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order consists of some 6,000 species and is grouped with Megaloptera and Raphidioptera in the unranked taxon Neuropterida. Neuropterans first appeared during the Permian period and continued to diversify through the Mesozoic era, with several unusually large forms evolving in the extinct family Kalligrammatidae, often called 'the butterflies of the Jurassic' for their large, patterned wings.
- field
- Entomology
- known_for
- Net-winged insects including lacewings, antlions, and mantidflies
- species_count
- ~6,000
- first_appearance
- Permian period
- classification
- Order Neuroptera, within Neuropterida
Lore & Background
Adult neuropterans have four membranous wings, all about the same size, with many veins, and chewing mouthparts. They undergo complete metamorphosis. The larvae are specialized predators with elongated mandibles adapted for piercing and sucking; their body form varies between families depending on prey. Larvae have no connection between midgut and hindgut, and their Malpighian tubules produce silk for cocoons, exiting through the anus. In Myrmeleontidae and Ascalaphidae, the tenth abdominal segment is modified into a spinneret for cocoon construction. Larvae of most families are predators. Many chrysopids, hemerobiids, and coniopterygids eat aphids and other pest insects, and some have been used for biological control. Larvae in various families cover themselves in debris as camouflage, taken to an extreme in ant lions, which bury themselves and ambush prey from pits. Larvae of some Ithonidae are root feeders, and larvae of Sisyridae are aquatic, feeding on freshwater sponges. A few mantispids are parasites of spider egg sacs. Adults of many groups are also predatory, but some do not feed or consume only nectar. Beetles, wasps, and some lake flies parasitize neuropteran larvae.
Reader's Guide
Neuroptera are significant as a diverse order of holometabolous insects with a fossil record extending back to the Permian period. Their larvae are important predators of pest insects such as aphids, leading to their use in biological control, though establishing and maintaining populations in crop fields has proven difficult. The order includes the extinct Kalligrammatidae, known as 'the butterflies of the Jurassic' for their large patterned wings, highlighting the group's past diversity.
Did You Know?
- The name Neuroptera comes from Ancient Greek for 'nerve' and 'wing', referring to the many veins in their wings.
- Larvae of ant lions (Myrmeleontidae) bury themselves completely and ambush prey from pits in the soil.
- Some neuropteran larvae have no connection between midgut and hindgut, using Malpighian tubules to produce silk for cocoons.
- The extinct family Kalligrammatidae is often called 'the butterflies of the Jurassic' for their large, patterned wings.
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