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Ornatoraphidia flavilabris (Costa, 1851) is one of 15 snakefly species occurring in southern parts of Central Europe. It is a polycentric Mediterranean faunal element with refugia in the Apennine Peninsula and the Balkan Peninsula. Two phylogeographic questions are dealt with in this paper: (1) Is it possible to differentiate, morphologically or genetically, the Balkanic populations from the Italian? (2) Did the species reach Central Europe from the Balkan or Apennine Peninsula? These questions were investigated using morphological and molecular biological methods. No morphological characters were uncovered which could serve to differentiate specimens from either distribution center. However, differences were detected in cox1, cox3 and 28S genes which allow for a reliable differentiation. Central European populations were largely identical with populations from Italy, but distinctly different from specimens from Greece. This could lead one to assume that the species migrated from Italy to Central Europe, although colonization from the southeast would appear easier due to more favorable orographic conditions. This discrepancy may be explained by the apparent absence of O. flavilabris from the large central part of the Balkan Peninsula, so that a gap exists between the southern and northern areas inhabited by O. flavilabris. Moreover, the species does not occur in eastern parts of Europe. Thus it would be more probable to assume that the occurrence of the species in the northwest Balkan Peninsula can be traced to migrations from the Apennine Peninsula to areas north and northeast of the Adriatic Sea, where O. flavilabris may have colonized the southeast of Central Europe. A migration of Adriatomediterranean faunal elements from the northwest Balkan Peninsula to Central Europe might be of more significance than previously assumed.

Dilaridae are an ancient relict lineage of lacewings, whose life history is poorly known. We investigated the external morphology of the first and second instar larvae of Dilar duelli Aspock U. and Aspock H., 1995, based on reared and collected specimens by means of scanning electron microscopy. Larvae of Dilar are characterized by straight mandibulo-maxillary stylets, strengthened antennae and palps, absence of stemmata, robust prothoracic legs with asymmetrical pretarsal claws, greatly elongate and cylindrical abdomen, and large pygopods, all of these features appear to be adaptations to fossorial habits, allowing the larvae to move in the soil. Dilar undergoes drastic developmental changes between larval instars, changing from minute, stout first instars to long, slender third instars, characterized by an overly developed abdomen. Larvae of Dilaridae share several morphological and developmental features with Mantispidae and Berothidae, although phylogenetic evidence suggests that these traits arose independently in association with similar life habits.

Inocelliidae is one of the two extant families of the holometabolan order Raphidioptera (snakeflies), with the modern fauna represented by seven genera and 44 species. The evolutionary history of the family is little-known. Here we present the first phylogenetic and biogeographical analyses based on a worldwide sampling of taxa and datasets combined with morphological characters and mitochondrial genomes, aiming to investigate the intergeneric phylogeny and historical biogeography of Inocelliidae. The phylogenetic inference from the combined analysis of morphological and molecular data recovered the sister-group relationship between a clade of (Negha + Indianoinocellia) + Sininocellia and a clade of Fibla + the Inocellia clade (interiorly nested by Amurinocellia and Parainocellia). Amurinocellia stat.r. and Parainocellia stat.r. et emend.n. are relegated to subgeneric status within Inocellia, whereas a newly erected subgenus of Inocellia, Epinocellia subgen.n., accommodates the former Parainocellia burmana (U. Aspöck and H. Aspöck, 1968) plus a new species Inocellia (Epinocellia) weii sp.n. Further, the Inocellia crassicornis group constitutes the nominotypical subgenus Inocellia stat.n., but the Inocellia fulvostigmata group is paraphyletic. Diversification within Inocelliidae is distinguished by an Eocene divergence leading to extant genera and a Miocene radiation of species. A biogeographical scenario depicts how the diverse inocelliid fauna from East Asia could have originated from western North America via dispersal across the Beringia during the early Tertiary, and how the Miocene ancestors of Inocellia could have accomplished long-distance dispersals via the Tibet-Himalayan corridor or eastern Palaearctic to western Palaearctic. Our results shed new light specifically on the evolution of Inocelliidae and, in general, the Raphidioptera.

A new genus of Berothidae (Neuroptera), Speleoberotha gen. nov., with two new species from Brazil, Speleoberotha mineira sp. nov. and Speleoberotha palomae sp. nov., are herein presented. These are the first cave-associated species of Berothidae ever recorded. The new genus shares some characters with the two extant genera of the subfamily Cyrenoberothinae, Cyrenoberotha and Manselliberotha, and other characters are shared with three fossil genera, Microberotha, Protoberotha and Sibelliberotha. This intermediate nature of the new genus was reinforced by the phylogenetic analyses presented here, which recovered Speleoberotha gen. nov. as sister to Sibelliberotha but closely associated with the extant Cyrenoberothinae. In this sense, a new concept of the subfamily Cyrenoberothinae is presented here, now including Speleoberotha gen. nov. and the three fossil genera together with Cyrenoberotha and Manselliberotha. We discuss the biogeographical history of the new concept of Cyrenoberothinae, suggesting that the clade originated in Gondwana. We also provide an identification key for the genera of Cyrenoberothinae.

The sequential breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea since the Middle Jurassic is one of the crucial factors that has driven the biogeographical patterns of terrestrial biotas. Despite decades of effort searching for concordant patterns between diversification and continental fragmentation among taxonomic groups, increasing evidence has revealed more complex and idiosyncratic scenarios resulting from a mixture of vicariance, dispersal and extinction. Aquatic insects with discreet ecological requirements, low vagility and disjunct distributions represent a valuable model for testing biogeographical hypotheses by reconstructing their distribution patterns and temporal divergences. Insects of the order Megaloptera have exclusively aquatic larvae, their adults have low vagility, and the group has a highly disjunct geographical distribution. Here we present a comprehensive phylogeny of Megaloptera based on a large-scale mitochondrial genome sequencing of 99 species representing >90% of the world genera from all major biogeographical regions. Molecular dating suggests that the deep divergence within Megaloptera pre-dates the breakup of Pangaea. Subsequently, the intergeneric divergences within Corydalinae (dobsonflies), Chauliodinae (fishflies) and Sialidae (alderflies) might have been driven by both vicariance and dispersal correlated with the shifting continent during the Cretaceous, but with strikingly different and incongruent biogeographical signals. The austral distribution of many corydalids appears to be a result of colonization from Eurasia through southward dispersal across Europe and Africa during the Cretaceous, whereas a nearly contemporaneous dispersal via northward rafting of Gondwanan landmasses may account for the colonization of extant Eurasian alderflies from the south.

The species diversity of insects is extraordinarily rich, but still has been insufficiently explored or underestimated particularly for uncommon groups. The pleasing lacewings (Dilaridae) are a little known family of Neuroptera with distinct sexually dimorphic antennae. The species diversity of pleasing lacewings was recently found to be severely underestimated and requires a comprehensive investigation, as well as systematic reviews. Here, we report on 12 new species of the pleasing lacewing genus Dilar Rambur, 1838, from the Oriental region, namely D. forcipatus sp. nov. and D. laoticus sp. nov. from Laos (new country record of Dilar), D. malickyi sp. nov., D. phraenus sp. nov. and D. rauschorum sp. nov. from northern Thailand, D. striatus sp. nov. from northern Vietnam, D. cangyuanensis sp. nov., D. daweishanensis sp. nov., D. nujianganus sp. nov., D. weibaoshanensis sp. nov., D. yucheni sp. nov., and D. zhangweiae sp. nov. from Yunnan and Tibet, both in southwestern China. The new species of Dilar display several types of wing marking patterns, and the morphology of the male genitalia is highly diverse. A comprehensive examination of the species diversity and distribution of Dilar concluded that Yunnan (southwestern China) represents a biogeographic region with high endemism and the richest species diversity. The potential correlation between vertical distribution and geographical latitude in Dilar was also analyzed.

The family Berothidae (beaded lacewings) is poorly known from the Indochina Peninsula. Previously, three genera, Berotha Walker, 1860, Isoscelipteron Costa, 1863, and Lekrugeria Navás, 1929, and four species were recorded from Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Here, we record the genus Asadeteva U. Aspöck & H. Aspöck, 1981, in Indochina for the first time and provide a description of a new species, namely Asadeteva acutata sp. nov., from Laos and Thailand. We also describe a new species of the genus Berotha Walker, 1860, namely Berotha incurvata sp. nov. from Laos and provide the first description of the male of Lekrugeria nepalica U. Aspöck & H. Aspöck, 1986, based on material from northern Myanmar.

A new species and a new genus of Rhachiberothidae, Rhachiella malawica gen. nov., spec. nov., are described from Malawi. The new species is characterized by a flat vertex, a long penisfilum in the male, and by a bifurcate pseudohypocauda in the female. This combination of characters requires the description of a new genus, which is the sister taxon of Mucroberotha Tjeder, 1959. This is the first record of Rhachiberothidae in Malawi. The distributions of all 14 species of Rhachiberothidae so far known are shown in three maps.

The coniopterygid fauna of the Neotropical region is poorly known. The most recent summary was provided by Martins (2019) who noted that 14 species were known from Peru. The subgenus Coniopteryx (Scotoconiopteryx) is endemic to the Neotropical region and comprises 36 species (Meinander 1972; Meinander & Penny 1982; Sziráki 2011; Martins & Amorim 2016, Sarmiento-Cordero & Contreras-Ramos 2019).

External and internal head structures of adult Coniopteryx pygmaea Enderlein, 1906, one of the smallest known lacewings, are described in detail for the first time. Possible effects of miniaturization and two hypotheses on the phylogenetic position of Coniopterygidae are evaluated and compared with data from literature. Several convergent modifications in C. pygmaea and other miniaturized insect species are outlined, e.g., a relative increase in the size of the brain, simplification of the tracheal system with respect to the number of tracheae, and reduction of the number of ommatidia and diameter of the facets. Further, the ocular ridge is bell-shaped and countersunk into the head capsule. The cuticle is weakly sclerotized and equipped with wax glands which are unique in Neuroptera. The total number of muscles is not affected by miniaturization. The phylogenetic analysis yields Coniopterygidae as sistergroup to the dilarid clade based on one larval character, the shape of the stylets. The enforced basal position of Coniopterygidae is supported by one disputable synapomorphy of the remaining Neuroptera, the presence of paraglossae in adults.

Male and female of Nusalala peruanasp. nov., a flightless hemerobiid from the Andes mountain range of northern Peru, at a height of almost 4000 m, are described, figured and documented as the first record of a brachypterous, flightless species of Nusalala Navás, 1913, from this country. The other two congeneric, brachypterous species are from high altitudes in Colombia and Costa Rica and have been described in the male sex only – the females remain unknown. The coriaceous domed forewings are shared by all three brachypterous Nusalala species. The ribbon-like hindwings of the male of N. peruanasp. nov. are unique, since those of the other brachypterous males are scale-like, as are the hindwings of the female of N. peruanasp. nov. Distribution and evolutionary backgrounds of brachyptery and flightlessness in Neuropterida are discussed.

The pleasing lacewing genus Dilar Rambur, 1838, is the only known representative of the family Dilaridae from Central Asia. Here we present a review of the five species of Dilar from Central Asia, Dilar hornei McLachlan, 1869, Dilar caesarulus H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck, 1967, Dilar kirgisus H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck, 1967, Dilar vartianorum H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck, 1967, and Dilar dochaner H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck, 1968. Remarkable intraspecific variations in male gonocoxite 10 are found in D. kirgisus and D. vartianorum. Re-descriptions of all the species are provided. Dilar indicus Monserrat, 1989, and Dilar similis Monserrat, 1989, are synonymized with D. vartianorum. A key to the species of Dilar from Central Asia is provided.

Coniopterygidae are the dwarfs among the Neuroptera. Despite their miniaturisation, the males are equipped with genital sclerites that are excessively heterogeneous. They function in copulation and sperm transfer and have been widely utilized for species identification, as well being considered of high phylogenetic relevance. The present study is the first to describe the musculature associated with the genital sclerites of two species of Coniopterygidae, Helicoconis lutea ( Wallengren, 1871 ) (Aleuropteryginae), and Coniopteryx pygmaea ( Enderlein, 1906 ) (Coniopteryginae) based on X-ray microCT imaging. We found six pairs of muscles associated with the genital sclerites in H. lutea and seven in C. pygmaea. The images depict other internal organs of the posterior abdominal segments, such as gonads and alimentary canal. In both investigated species, the internal sclerites support the ductus ejaculatorius, which – surprisingly – turned out to be a landmark for the identification of closely adjacent internal sclerites and associated musculature. The interpretation of these sclerites as gonocoxites and gonapophyses of the tenth segment (traditionally denoted as parameres and penis) could be corroborated. Thus it is no longer tenable to assert that possession of a “penis” is exclusive to Coniopterygidae, since this sclerite is part of the ground pattern in Neuroptera. Interactions of genital sclerites and corresponding musculature during copulation are discussed.

Neuroptera (lacewings) and allied orders Megaloptera (dobsonflies, alderflies) and Raphidioptera (snakeflies) are predatory insects and together make up the clade Neuropterida. The higher-level relationships within Neuropterida have historically been widely disputed with multiple competing hypotheses. Moreover, the evolution of important biological innovations among various Neuropterida families, such as the origin, timing and direction of transitions between aquatic and terrestrial habitats of larvae, remains poorly understood. To investigate the origin and diversification of lacewings and their allies, we undertook phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial genomes of all families of Neuropterida using Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony methods. We present a robust, fully resolved phylogeny and divergence time estimation for Neuropterida with strong statistical support for almost all nodes. Mitochondrial sequence data are typified by significant compositional heterogeneity across lineages, and parsimony and models assuming homogeneous rates did not recover Neuroptera as monophyletic. Only a model accounting for compositional heterogeneity (i.e. CAT-GTR) recovered all orders of Neuropterida as monophyletic. Significant findings of the mitogenomic phylogeny include recovering Raphidioptera as sister to Megaloptera plus Neuroptera. The sister family of all other lacewings are the dusty-wings (Coniopterygidae), rather than Nevrorthidae. Nevrorthidae are instead returned to their traditional position as the sister group of the spongilla-flies (Sisyridae) and closely related to Osmylidae. Our divergence time analysis indicates that the Mesozoic was indeed a 'golden age' for lacewings, with most families of Neuropterida diverging during the Triassic and Jurassic and all extant families present by the Early Cretaceous. Based on ancestral character state reconstructions of larval habitat we evaluate competing hypotheses regarding the life style of early neuropteridan larvae as either aquatic or terrestrial.

The phylogeny of pleasing lacewings (Neuroptera: Dilaridae) is reconstructed for the first time based on morphological data using all fossil and extant genera. Accordingly, a revised generic classification of Dilaridae is proposed, with a new subfamily (i.e. Berothellinae subfam.n.) erected based on its remarkably different morphological features from the other dilarid subfamilies. A revision of all dilarid genera is presented, including descriptions of some little-known species from Asia and Mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. New genera and species herein described include Berothella holzschuhi U. Aspock, Liu & H. Aspock, sp.n., Cretodilar burmanus Liu & Zhang, gen. et sp.n., Dilar cretaceus Liu & Zhang, sp.n., Neonallachius orientalis Liu, U. Aspock & H. Aspock, sp.n. and Neonallachius thailandicus Liu & Winterton, sp.n. Two new combinations, i.e. Neonallachius krooni (Minter, 1986), comb.n. and Neonallachius ponomarenkoi (Zakharenko, 1991), comb.n., are proposed. Evolutionary patterns of some important characters and the historical biogeography of Dilaridae are also discussed. This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:68836312-FBDC-4F9F-8516-2365F44596BF.

The Neuroptera are highly heterogeneous endopterygote insects. While their relatives Megaloptera and Raphidioptera have biting mouthparts also in their larval stage, the larvae of Neuroptera are characterized by conspicuous sucking jaws that are used to imbibe fluids, mostly the haemolymph of prey. They comprise a mandibular and a maxillary part and can be curved or straight, long or short. In the pupal stages, a transformation from the larval sucking to adult biting and chewing mouthparts takes place. The development during metamorphosis indicates that the larval maxillary stylet contains the Anlagen of different parts of the adult maxilla and that the larval mandibular stylet is a lateral outgrowth of the mandible. The mouthparts of extant adult Neuroptera are of the biting and chewing functional type, whereas from the Mesozoic era forms with siphonate mouthparts are also known. Various food sources are used in larvae and in particular in adult Neuroptera. Morphological adaptations of the mouthparts of adult Neuroptera to the feeding on honeydew, pollen and arthropods are described in several examples. New hypotheses on the diet of adult Nevrorthidae and Dilaridae are presented.

Two new snakefly species of the family Raphidiidae are described from China: Mongoloraphidia lini sp. nov. and Mongoloraphidia triangulata sp. nov. Biogeographical considerations on secondary refugial centers of the large Sino-Tibetan primary center are presented.

The lacewing family Berothidae (beaded lacewings) of China is a poorly known group. It consists of two genera and 11 previously described species. In this paper, we provide a revision of the beaded lacewings from China. The genus Berotha Walker, 1860, in China contains seven species including one new species: Berotha guangdongana sp. nov. The second genus, Isoscelipteron Costa, 1863, comprises six species from China, including one new species, namely Isoscelipteron acuticaudatum sp. nov. Descriptions and re-descriptions of the species are provided as well as an identification key to the species of Berothidae from China.

Liu, Xingyue, Lyu, Yanan, Aspöck, Horst, Aspöck, Ulrike (2018): Discovery of a new species of Inocelliidae (Insecta: Raphidioptera) in an altitude of nearly 3500 m in China. Zootaxa 4471 (3): 585-589, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4471.3.10

The genitalia of Megaloptera are crucial for taxonomic identification and represent a significant component of characters for phylogenetic interpretation of this order. However, several complex genital structures, especially those related to segments 9 and 11 in Megaloptera, have yet to be subjected to a comprehensive survey of homology. The terminology for genital sclerites has been variously and even incorrectly used by different authors, a fact which could lead to much confusion about character evolution. In this paper, we first present a comprehensive morphological comparison of the sclerites of male and female genital segments in 23 megalopteran genera representing all major lineages of Corydalinae, Chauliodinae and Sialidae. Accordingly, we then provide new interpretations on the homology of the genital sclerites which often appear to be considerably different among Megaloptera. Based on our new and revised homology assessments, we conclude that: (i) the small to medium-sized sclerite beneath the ectoprocts in males of Sialidae represents the fused gonocoxites 11; (ii) the male gonocoxites 11 in Corydalidae are largely reduced and are sometimes retained as a small sclerite beneath the anus; (iii) the predominant sternite-like sclerite of the female abdominal segment 8 represents the fused gonocoxites 8; and (iv) a pair of sclerites amalgamated with the lateral arms of male gonocoxites 10 in Chauliodinae is the gonocoxites 9. Furthermore, based on our genital homology assessments, we reconstruct an intergeneric phylogeny including all genera of Megaloptera using genital characters in a parsimonious analysis to test their phylogenetic relevance. The phylogeny herein recovered is largely congruent with the results from several previous studies, thus underlying the significant phylogenetic relevance of the megalopteran genital sclerites. The present work provides new insights into the evolution of insect genitalia.

Nevrorthidae is a family of Neuroptera with low species diversity, disjunct geographic distributions, and a controversial phylogenetic status. Previous fossil records of the family are from the Eocene except for the recently described species Cretarophalis patrickmuelleri Wichard, 2017 from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, following earlier records of an undescribed species. However, such a significant finding of this family from Mesozoic was originally presented only with a preliminary description. Here we re-describe the species based on exquisitely preserved materials from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber that provides for a much more detailed description, in particular of the hindwing, female genitalia, and larval head. Furthermore, distinctive morphological characters of C. patrickmuelleri with significant phylogenetic relevance are discussed. The general morphology, particularly that of the larva, has changed little between the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, and it reflects an evolutionary stasis that might correspond to their aquatic larval life-style. The present finding also supports the relictual nature of the modern nevrorthids.

The Mediterranean snakefly Raphidia mediterranea H. Aspöck, U. Aspöck & Rausch, 1977 – known from many parts of the Balkan Peninsula, several Aegean islands, southern parts of Italy, northwest of Anatolia and a few localities in Eastern Europe, yet not recorded in Central Europe – was surprisingly found with an astoundingly high population density on bushes in the yard of an old farmhouse at a comparatively high altitude (800 m) in Upper Austria, north of the Danube River, in 2013. This spectacular phenomenon was again observed in the following years (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), and in 2016 the suspicion that the larvae develop in the straw of the thatched roof of the farmhouse could be confirmed by findings of larvae, pupae, and exuviae.It is most likely, that the occurrence of this Raphidia species in Austria is to be traced back to a human-caused introduction at some point in time. It remains, however, unknown when and specifically how this event might have occurred. Morphologically no substantial differences were found between specimens from Greece, Italy and Upper Austria. In addition, the genetic uniformity (using 3 genes: cox1, cox3, and 28S) of the populations was verified. This supports an earlier hypothesis that the occurrence of the species, as well as that of R. mediterranea in Italy, Anatolia and perhaps elsewhere, may be related to importation of goods involving wood or soil. A molecular genetic analysis of several Raphidia species confirmed the present morphology-based concept of their systematic position. The means of dispersal of Raphidioptera are largely unknown. We do not know of any other similar cases of anthropogenic dispersal of a snakefly, but it cannot be excluded that human activities may have played a greater role in the dispersal of Raphidioptera than previously assumed. Phylogenomic studies would therefore be promising to solve some of these questions.

The lacewing family Dilaridae (pleasing lacewings) is poorly known in Southeast Asia, currently with only five described species. In this paper, we provide a revision of the species of the genus Dilar Rambur, 1838 from Southeast Asia. Eleven species of Dilar are recorded in this region, with seven species herein described as new to science, i.e. Dilar abnormis Zhang, LiuWinterton, sp. nov., Dilar lineatus Zhang, LiuWinterton, sp. nov., Dilar loeinensis Zhang, Liu, Winterton, sp. nov., Dilar ohli Zhang, Liu, AspöckAspöck, sp. nov., Dilar rotundatus Zhang, LiuWinterton, sp. nov., Dilar sumatranus Zhang, Liu, AspöckAspöck, sp. nov., and Dilar zimmermannae Zhang, Liu, AspöckAspöck, sp. nov. Re-descriptions of Dilar grandis (Banks, 1931), and Dilar marmoratus (Banks, 1931) are also provided. Dilaridae are recorded in Indonesia (Sumatra), Myanmar, and northern Thailand for the first time. A key to the Dilar species from Southeast Asia is given.

A new species and genus of Nevrorthidae, Sinoneurorthus yunnanicus n. gen. et n. sp., from Yunnan Province, China, is described. The generic status of the new genus is discussed based on the genital morphology. The phylogenetic and biogeographical relevance of the new genus and its implications on the whole family are discussed.

Four new species of snakeflies of the family Inocelliidae: Inocellia longispina, I. bilobata, I. striata, and I. cornuta, spp. n. from Thailand are described and illustrated. A synthesis of the known species of Inocelliidae from Southeast Asia is presented. The questionable heuristic value of the classification of Inocellia, which advocates an I. fulvostigmata group and an I. crassicornis group, is discussed. The detection of four new partly syntopic species of Inocelliidae occurring within a small geographic range comes as a great surprise and infers that Southeast Asia is a hitherto unknown important evolutionary center of the family. (© 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Two species of the snakefly genus Mongoloraphidia Aspock & Aspock, 1968 from Japan and Taiwan are described as new to science: Mongoloraphidia (Japanoraphidia) occidentalis sp. nov. and Mongoloraphidia (Formosoraphidia) curvata sp. nov. A key to the species of Mongoloraphidia from Eastern Asia is provided. Phylogenetic and biogeographical aspects on the Raphidiidae from Eastern Asia are discussed.

The snakefly genus Inocellia Schneider is the major representative of the family Inocelliidae in Asia. It is separated into two species groups, namely Inocellia crassicornis group and the Inocellia fulvostigmata group. In the present paper, three new species are described: Inocellia cheni sp. n., Inocellia hamata sp. n., and Inocellia obtusangularis sp. n., as well as Inocellia sinensis Navas, 1936. Together these four species constitute the I. fulvostigmata group of China. Inocellia aspouckorum Yang, 1999 is synonymized with I. sinensis. A key to the males of all the members of the I. fulvostigmata group is given. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

We present a molecular phylogeny of the family Raphidiidae including representatives of 21 of the 26 genera. Sequences from the nuclear gene for the large subunit ribosomal RNA (28S rRNA) and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 3 gene (cox3) were used. For the phylogenetic reconstructions we applied automated and manual approaches for sequence alignment and different evolutionary models and tree building algorithms. The trees based on the two alignment approaches were rather similar in their overall topology. A combination of both marker sequences increased the resolution of the trees. The six clades within the raphidiid family that emerged represent either single genera or groups of genera, namely: (i) the Nearctic genus Agulla Navas, (ii) the Nearctic/Central American genus Alena Navas, (iii) the Central Asiatic and Eastern Palaearctic genus Mongoloraphidia H. Aspock & U. Aspock, (iv) the Palaearctic Puncha clade, (v) the western Mediterranean Ohmella clade, and (vi) the Palaearctic Phaeostigma clade. The New World taxa Agulla and Alena are placed as successive out-groups to a monophyletic Palaearctic clade. The Mongoloraphidia clade is distributed in the eastern Palearctic while the remaining three clades are exclusively (Ohmella clade) or mainly distributed in the western Palaearctic. The early radiation of extant Raphidiidae is interpreted based on the phylogenetic tree obtained in the present study, and the geological and palaeobiological processes around the K–T boundary.

A new snakefly species of Inocelliidae, Inocellia elegans sp. n., from Guizhou Province, China, is described and illustrated. The appearance of this species is rather spectacular and differs from all other known species of Raphidioptera by the pigmented wings. The systematic position of this species is discussed. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Adults of two coniopterygid species, Aleuropteryx juniperi Ohm, 1968 (Aleuropteryginae) and Semidalis aleyrodiformis (Stephens, 1836) (Coniopteryginae), were studied using scanning electron microscopy. Interspecific differences in the ultrastructure of the integument of all the major parts of the body were identified and described, and the functional and phylogenetic implications of the differences discussed. Additionally, the enlarged terminal segment of the labial palps of the Coniopterygidae and the Sisyridae, which up to now has been used as an argument for a sister-group relationship between these two families, was subjected to a thorough comparison. The very different morphology makes independent enlargement of the terminal palpal segment in both families plausible. This finding is congruent with the earlier hypothesis of a sister-group relationship between Coniopterygidae and the dilarid clade, which was proposed on the basis of molecular data, larval morphology and male genital sclerites. Finally, a new classification of the coniopterygid subfamilies is presented based on characters of the larval head (prominence of the ocular region, relative length of sucking stylets). The following relationship is hypothesized: (Brucheiserinae + Coniopteryginae) + Aleuropteryginae, and the implications of this hypothesis for the phylogenetic interpretation of the ultrastructural differences that we found are discussed: (1) The wax glands, as well as plicatures, are interpreted as belonging to the ground pattern of the family Coniopterygidae, and (2) the wax glands are considered to have been reduced in Brucheiserinae and the plicatures in Coniopteryginae. A distinct (though reduced) spiraculum 8 was detected in Semidalis aleyrodiformis; as a consequence the hypothesis that the loss of spiraculum 8 is an autapomorphy of Coniopteryginae is refuted.

The snakefly genus Amurinocellia (Raphidioptera: Inocelliidae) is recorded from China for the first time. Two species are described as new to science: Amurinocellia sinica sp. nov. and Amurinocellia australis sp. nov. A new combination, Amurinocellia calida (H. Aspock & U. Aspock) comb. nov. is proposed. A key is provided for the species of Amurinocellia. The generic status and the zoogeography of Amurinocellia are discussed.