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.
Adult neuropterans possess four membranous wings of roughly equal size, characterized by a dense network of veins. They have chewing mouthparts and undergo complete metamorphosis. The body is soft and lacks many specialized features, though they have large compound eyes and may or may not have ocelli. Their mandibles are strong and suited for chewing, without the adaptations seen in other holometabolan groups. Some species have specialized sense organs or bristles on their wings to link them during flight.
Larvae are predatory, with elongated mandibles adapted for piercing and sucking. Their body form varies by family, but they generally have three pairs of thoracic legs ending in two claws, and adhesive discs on the last two abdominal segments. In larvae, the midgut and hindgut are not connected; instead, Malpighian tubules produce silk for the cocoon, which exits through the anus. In antlions and owlflies, the tenth abdominal segment forms a retractable spinneret for cocoon construction. Many larvae camouflage themselves with debris, with antlions burying themselves to ambush prey from pits. Some larvae feed on roots or aquatic sponges, while a few mantispids parasitize spider egg sacs. The pupal stage is enclosed in a silk cocoon mixed with soil or debris, and the pupa cuts its way out with its mandibles. Adults of many groups are predatory, though some feed only on nectar or not at all. Beetles, wasps, and certain lake flies parasitize neuropteran larvae.
Neuropterans first appeared near the end of the Permian, with fossils from Siberia and Australia. The osmylids may be the most ancient group, with the extinct *Protosmylus* found in Baltic amber. The family Kalligrammatidae lived from the Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous. Ithonidae range
- 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, or net-winged insects, are a holometabolous order comprising around 6,000 species, including lacewings, antlions, and mantidflies. Adults possess four membranous wings with numerous veins and chewing mouthparts. The group first appeared near the end of the Permian period, with fossils from Siberia and Australia, and diversified through the Mesozoic, producing unusually large forms such as the extinct Kalligrammatidae, whose large patterned wings earned them the description "butterflies of the Jurassic." The larvae are specialized predators with elongated, piercing-sucking mandibles; their midgut and hindgut are disconnected, and Malpighian tubules produce silk for cocoon construction, exiting through the anus. In antlions and owlflies, the tenth abdominal segment forms a retractable spinneret. Larval ecology varies: many chrysopids, hemerobiids, and coniopterygids prey on aphids and other pests, making them valuable for biological control, though establishing populations in crops is challenging. Some ithonid larvae feed on roots, sisyrid larvae are aquatic and consume freshwater sponges, and certain mantispids parasitize spider egg sacs. Adults of many groups are also predatory, while others feed only on nectar or not at all. Neuropterans are parasitized by beetles, wasps, and some lake flies. The order is grouped with Megaloptera and Raphidioptera in the taxon Neuropterida, and molecular analyses place Megaloptera as sister to Neuroptera. The family Osmylidae may be the most ancient neuropteran group, with Jurassic or Early Cretaceous origins, while Ithonidae have a fossil record from the Jurassic to the present. Diversity appears to have declined after the Cretaceous.
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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