Nymphidae

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Split-footed lacewings
Fossil range: Eocene - Recent
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Infraclass: Neoptera
Superorder: Endopterygota or Neuropterida
Order: Neuroptera
Suborder: Myrmeleontiformia
Superfamily: Myrmeleontoidea
Family: Nymphidae
Genera

Several, including:
Myiodactylus
Nymphes
Osmylops
and see text
Synonyms

Myiodactylidae

The split-footed lacewings, Nymphidae, are a family of winged insects of the order Neuroptera.

Split-footed lacewings stand somewhat apart from other living Myrmeleontoidea. The antlions (Myrmeleontidae) and the owlflies (Ascalaphidae) are more closely related to them, but the bulk of the Nymphidae's relatives includes extinct groups known only from fossils, such as the Nymphitidae, Brogniartiellidae or Babinskaiidae. The spoonwings (Nemopteridae) were at one time also believed to be quite closely related, but they seem to belong to another lineage of Myrmeleontiformia altogether. Myiodactylus osmyloides and its relatives were formerly separated as Myiodactylidae but they do not form a lineage separate from the other Nymphidae.[1]

In addition to the numerous living genera, the fossil Pronymphes is known from the Eocene.[2]

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ See references in Haaramo (2008)
  2. ^ Engel & Grimaldi (2007)

[edit] 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
  • Haaramo, Mikko (2008): Mikko's Phylogeny Archive: Neuroptera. Version of 2008-MAR-11. Retrieved 2008-APR-27.


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