Nevrorthidae

The Nevrorthidae, often incorrectly spelled "Neurorthidae", are a small family of winged insects of the order Neuroptera. Extant species may be described as living fossils.

Nevrorthidae
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous–recent
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Neuroptera
Family:
Nevrorthidae
Genera

Austroneurorthus
Nevrorthus
Nipponeurorthus

Synonyms

Neurorthidae (lapsus)
Nevrorthiformia

They were at one time placed in the Osmyloidea, with the Osmylidae and the spongillaflies (Sisyridae) as their closest relatives, but nowadays they are considered to be the most ancient lineage of living lacewings. Sometimes they are placed in a suborder Nevrorthiformia, but the quite basal position of the family is probably better expressed by placing them directly in the Neuroptera, without assigning the subordinal rank.[1]

Apart from the mere three living genera, the fossil Rophalis from the Eocene and Cretarophalis from the Cretaceous (Albian–Cenomanian) have been described.[2][3]

Footnotes
  1. See references in Haaramo (2008)
  2. Engel & Grimaldi (2007)
  3. Wilfried Wichard (2017). "Family Nevrorthidae (Insecta, Neuroptera) in Mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber". Palaeodiversity. 10 (1): 1–5. doi:10.18476/pale.v10.a1.
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References
  • Engel, Michael S. & Grimaldi, David A. (2007): The neuropterid fauna of Dominican and Mexican amber (Neuropterida, Megaloptera, Neuroptera). American Museum Novitates 3587: 1-58. PDF fulltext


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