Reticulated winged
| Reticulated winged | ||||||||||||
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| Linnaeus , 1758 |
The lacewings (Neuroptera, Syn. : Planipennia) are an order of insects . They will also Exemplary called (singular: prison ). A total of about 5500 species are known, 292 of them from Europe , about 120 of them live in Central Europe. Their main distribution area are the tropics and subtropics. This order includes striking and bizarre species such as the catchy . Within the reticulated wing there are also two families with larvae that are well known because of their way of life: the ant maids with the ant lions and the lacewing with the aphid lions .
features
The netwings differ from the large winged (Megaloptera) by their prothorax , which is not shield-shaped, but is bent laterally down to the hips of the forelegs, downward-pointing mouthparts and pairs of wings that are about the same width at the base. The snakeflies (Raphidioptera) as a third order of Netzflüglerartigen can be distinguished on the basis of greatly extended Prothorax and lobular widened third Tarsengliedes on all three pairs of legs. The captive also have an elongated prothorax, but can be clearly distinguished from the camel neck flies by their fangs. The animals can also be confused with stone flies (Plecoptera), but they differ from them in the lack of cerci at the end of the abdomen.
The appearance of the different species of netwings is very different and ranges from small, whitefly-like species such as the dusty , butterfly-like butterfly- like and dragonfly-like ant maids to the captive, which resemble mantis . The wingspan of the Central European species varies between 1.5 and 80 millimeters, tropical species such as Palpares voeltzkowi even reach wingspans of up to 160 millimeters. Like the rest of the reticulated veined wings, they are placed like a roof over the abdomen in the rest position. Only in a few species are the wings regressed or modified. Its three pairs of legs have five tarsi, only the catchy ones deviate from this blueprint with their front legs modified to make them catchy legs. The adults have biting and chewing mouthparts with mandibles and proportionally large, protruding compound eyes . The antennae are usually long and thread-like, in some species they can also be widened at the end of a club.
The appearance of the reticulated winged larvae is completely different from that of the adult and, depending on the family belonging to it, is extremely different in appearance and size. Their mandibles and maxillae are transformed into powerful suction tongs with which the prey can be grabbed. You have no anus, but either choke out indigestible food through your mouth or store it in the midgut. Some larvae camouflage themselves with substrate or food scraps that are attached to the body.
Occurrence and way of life
Netwings occur in almost all habitats worldwide. Most of the adults and their larvae live on land. Only a few species, such as some brooks, live near the water, the larvae of the spongy and Nevrorthidae develop in the water. Almost all kinds of order are active at night or at dawn and can only fly moderately well. Only the threadlike and butterfly-like are diurnal, the latter are also excellent fliers. Some species can be attracted by artificial light at night. Almost all larvae predatory feed on small insects, especially various plant lice or mites . They are grabbed with suction tongs in order to inject digestive juices into them, which are then sucked out ( extraintestinal digestion ). The ant lions catch their prey using self-dug funnels in the loose sand and were thus able to open up the ecological niche of sand habitats. The larvae of the catchy and spongy develop as parasites . The adults are either predatory or, like the threadlike ones, feed on pollen or, like many lacewings, on honeydew .
development
After mating, the females lay their eggs on or in the respective substrate. The eggs of many species sit on more or less long stalks that can be found on branches, leaves and house walls. Sometimes they are also placed on colonies of prey. The larvae usually molt three times during their development, some species also four or five times. The larvae usually develop relatively quickly, which is why, depending on the species, several generations are formed each year. But there are also species that take two years to develop. They pupate in a cocoon exclusively on land, which is usually made in the ground.
Systematics of the Netzflügler
The order Neuroptera introduced by Linnaeus was characterized by the possession of four membranous wings and the absence of a spine (in contrast to the hymenoptera ). This group thus represented a polyphyletic collective group, under which dragonflies , mayflies , stone flies , caddis flies and beaked flies were classified in addition to the species now known as reticulated flies .
Of subsequent taxonomists this group became increasingly split, Latreille led in 1817 the name Planipennes one of Linnaeus' Neuroptera without dragonflies and mayflies, this name was by Burmeister 1839 incorrectly in Planipennia Latinized and for Netzflüglerartigen including scorpion flies used. Today's use of the monophyletic taxa Neuroptera (Netzflügler) and Neuropterida (Netzflügleriform) goes back to Handlirsch ( Zur Phylogenie der Hexapoden , 1903). The relationships within the reticulated winged species have not yet been fully clarified, but it is assumed that the order is most closely related to the large winged species.
Even if the close relationship of the individual families of the netwings is beyond question, they represent a very diverse group within the insects. Worldwide there are around 17 families of the netwings, of which 12 are represented by representatives in Europe. In Central Europe there are still 8 families.
The 12 families occurring in Europe are divided into three sub-orders:
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Hemerobiiformia
- Berothidae
- Lacewing , golden eyes (Chrysopidae)
- Dusty (Coniopterygidae)
- Dilaridae
- Daytime , brown lacewing (Hemerobiidae), larvae: aphid lions
- Catchy (Mantispidae)
- Brooklike (Osmylidae)
- Spongy (Sisyridae)
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Myrmeleontiformia
- Butterfly-like (Ascalaphidae)
- Ant maids (Myrmeleontidae), larvae: ant lions
- Thready (Nemopteridae)
- Nevrorthiformia
Fossil evidence
Wing fragments from the Permian of Russia are the oldest reliable evidence of this order . Some Mesozoic forms are known from the Upper Jurassic of southern Germany (including Solnhofen limestone ). Other forms are described from Cretaceous and Tertiary amber from various deposits.
Individual evidence
- ^ Neuroptera. Fauna Europaea, accessed November 17, 2007 .
- ↑ David Grimaldi, Michael S. Engel: Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge 2005. ISBN 978-0-521-82149-0 .
- ^ Arno Hermann Müller : Textbook of Palaeozoology. Volume II, Part 3; Gustav Fischer, Jena 1978.
- ↑ George O Poinar, Jr: Life in Amber. University Press, Stanford 1992.
literature
- Ekkehard Wachmann , Christoph Saure: Netzflügler, mud and camel neck flies. Naturbuch-Verlag, Augsburg 1997. ISBN 3-89440-222-9
- Aspöck, H. & Aspöck, U. & Hölzel, H. (1980): The neuropterans of Europe . 2 volumes. Krefeld.
