Myrmeleontiformia Explained

Myrmeleontiformia is an insect clade in the order Neuroptera, and which was historically treated as a suborder.^[1] The phylogeny of the Neuroptera has been explored using mitochondrial DNA sequences, and while issues remain for the order as a whole, such as "Hemerobiiformia" being paraphyletic, Myrmeleontiformia is generally agreed to be monophyletic, with one study giving the following cladogram:^[2]

Superfamilies and families

Clade Myrmeleontiformia

• Superfamily Myrmeleontoidea (syn Nemopteroidea^[3])
  • Family Ascalaphidae: owlflies (possibly in Myrmeleontoidea)
    • • Family †Babinskaiidae Family Myrmeleontidae: antlions (includes Palaeoleontidae)
  • Family Nemopteridae: spoonwings etc (formerly in Myrmeleontoidea)
  • Family Nymphidae: split-footed lacewings (includes Myiodactylidae)
  • Family †Rafaelianidae
• Superfamily Psychopsoidea
  • Family †Aetheogrammatidae
    • • Family †Kalligrammatidae Family †Osmylopsychopidae (syn †Brongniartiellidae)
  • Family †Panfiloviidae (syn †Grammosmylidae)
  • Family †Prohemerobiidae
  • Family Psychopsidae: silky lacewings

Notes and References

1. Engel . M. S. . Winterton . S. L. . Breitkreuz . L. C. . 2018 . Phylogeny and evolution of Neuropterida: where have wings of lace taken us? . Annual Review of Entomology . 63 . 531–551 . 10.1146/annurev-ento-020117-043127.
2. Yan, Y. . Wang Y . Liu, X. . Winterton, S.L. . Yang, D. . The First Mitochondrial Genomes of Antlion (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) and Split-footed Lacewing (Neuroptera: Nymphidae), with Phylogenetic Implications of Myrmeleontiformia . Int J Biol Sci . 2014 . 10 . 8 . 895–908 . 10.7150/ijbs.9454 . 4147223 . 25170303 .
3. Engel, M. S. . Grimaldi, D. A. . 2008 . Diverse Neuropterida in Cretaceous amber, with particular reference to the paleofauna of Myanmar (Insecta) . Nova Supplementa Entomologica . 20 . 1–86.