Nephonecira capensis
Photograph courtesy of N. Larsen, South African Museum

The Owlflies (Neuroptera: Ascalaphidae) of South Africa

Compiled by Mervyn W. Mansell

Biosystematics Division, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Council, P. Bag X134, Pretoria, 0001 South Africa

© Copyright of this page belongs to the author.
Yours is the access since 1st January 2000

Family: ASCALAPHIDAE (owlflies)

  1. Genus: ALLOCORMODES McLachlan, 1891
    1. A. junodi van der Weele
      Allocormodes junodi van der Weele, 1908: 73
      South Africa, Mpumulanga

  2. Genus: ASCALAPHUS Fabricius, 1775
    = HELICOMITUS McLachlan, 1871: 261: Tjeder 1972: 154
    1. Ascalaphus festivus (Rambur)
      Bubo festivus Rambur, 1842: 356
      Ascalaphus festivus (Rambur): Walker 1853: 419
      Encyoposis festivus (Rambur): Mclachlan 1871: 264
      Helicomitis festivus (Rambur): van der Weele 1907: 153
      = Suphalasca africana McLachlan, 1871: 259
      = Suphalasca rutila Gerstaecker, 1893: 105
      = Encyoposis bilineata Kolbe, 1897: 30
      = Encyoposis flavostigma Kolbe, 1897: 30
      Southern Africa, widespread

  3. Genus: BREVIBARBIS Tjeder & Hansson, 1992
    1. B. demoori Tjeder & Hansson
      Brevibarbis demoori Tjeder & Hansson, 1992: 182.
      South Africa, Mpumulanga; Mozambique; Zimbabwe.
    2. B. dyscrita Tjeder & Hansson
      Brevibarbis dyscrita Tjeder & Hansson, 1992: 183
      South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumulanga, North-West Province, Gauteng.

  4. Genus: BUBOMYIELLA Tjeder & Hansson, 1992
    1. B. pygmaea Tjeder & Hansson
      Bubomyiella pygmaea Tjeder & Hansson, 1992:186
      South Africa, Western Cape Province

  5. Genus: DISPAROMITIS van der Weele, 1908
    1. D. transvaliensis (van der Weele)
      Disparomitis transvaliensis van der Weele, 1908: 188
      South Africa, North-West Province

  6. Genus: ENCYOPOSIS McLachlan, 1871
    1. E. flavilinea (Walker)
      Ascalaphus flavilineata Walker, 1859: 197
      Encyoposis flavilinea (Walker): McLachlan 1871: 262
      South Africa, Western Cape Province, Northern Province, North-West Province, KwaZulu-Natal
    2. E. hemistigma van der Weele
      Encyoposis hemistigma van der Weee, 1908: 249
      South Africa; French Congo

  7. Genus: ENCYOPSIDIUS Péringuey, 1910
    1. E. apicalis Tjeder & Hansson
      Encyopsidius apicalis Tjeder & Hansson, 1992: 187
      South Africa, Western Cape Province
    2. E. promontorii Péringuey
      Encyopsidius promontorii Péringuey, 1910: 450
      South Africa, Western Cape Province

  8. Genus: EREMOIDES Tjeder, 1992
    = EREMOPHANES Banks, 1924
    1. E. bicristatus (Banks)
      Eremoides bicristatus (Banks, 1924: 438)
      Eremophanes bicristatus Banks, 1924: 438
      South Africa, Western Cape Province, Free State, Mpumulanga, Northern Province; Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

  9. Genus: HELCOPTERYX McLachlan, 1871
    1. H. rhodiogramma (Rambur)
      Bubo rhodiogrammus Rambur, 1842: 355
      Ascalaphus rhodiogrammus (Rambur): Walker 1853: 419
      Helcopteryx rhodiogramma (Rambur): McLachlan 1871: 271
      South Africa, Eastern Cape Province, KwaZulu-Natal

  10. Genus: MANSELLIA Tjeder, 1992
    1. M. annulata Tjeder
      Mansellia annulata Tjeder, 1992: 97
      South Africa, Mpumulanga; Zimbabwe

  11. Genus: MELAMBROTUS McLachlan, 1871
    1. M. papio Tjeder
      Melambrotus papio Tjeder, 1992: 80
      South Africa, Eastern Cape Province, Western Cape Province
    2. M. pseudosimia Kimmins
      Melambrotus psudosimia Kimmins, 1992 (in Tjeder, 1992: 84)
      South Africa, Mpumulanga; Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe
    3. M. simia McLachlan
      Melambrotus simia McLachlan, 1871: 241
      South Africa, North Western Cape; Namibia
    4. M. zulu Tjeder
      Melambrotus zulu Tjeder, 1992: 88
      South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal

  12. Genus: NEOMELAMBROTUS van der Weele, 1909
    1. N. aurivilliusi van der Weele
      Neomelambrotus aurivilliusi van der Weele, 1909: 83
      South Africa, Mpumulanga, Northern Province, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe
    2. N. striatus Tjeder
      Neomelambrotus striatus Tjeder, 1992: 141
      South Africa, Eastern Cape Province, Northern Cape Province; Namibia
    3. N. namaquensis Tjeder
      Neomelambrotus namaquensis Tjeder, 1992: 144
      South Africa, Northern Cape Province
    4. N. densinervis Tjeder
      Neomelambrotus densinervis Tjeder, 1992: 146
      South Africa, Western Cape Province
    5. N. contumax Tjeder
      Neomelambrotus contumax Tjeder, 1992: 148
      South Africa, Gauteng
    6. N. molestus Tjeder
      Neomelambrotus molestus Tjeder, 1992: 149
      South Africa, Mpumulanga; Botswana; Zimbabwe
    7. N. cristatus Tjeder
      Neomelambrotus cristatus Kimmins, 1992: 152 (in Tjeder 1992)
      Zimbabwe; Zambia

  13. Genus: NEPHONEURA McLachlan 1871
    1. N. capensis (Fabricius, 1781)
      Ascalaphus capensis Fabricius, 1781: 250
      Myrmeleon capense (Fabricius): Gmelin 1793: 2643
      Nephoneura capensis (Fabricius): McLachlan 1871: 269
      South Africa, Western Cape Province
    2. N. collusor McLachlan
      Nephoneura collusor McLachlan, 1871: 269
      South Africa, KwaZuluNatal

  14. Genus: PARAMELAMBROTUS Tjeder, 1992
    1. P. whiteheadi Tjeder
      Paramelambrotus whiteheadi Tjeder, 1992: 94
      South Africa, Western Cape Province

  15. Genus: PHALASCUSA Kolle, 1897
    1. P. hildebrandti Kolbe
      Phalascusa hildebrandti Kolbe, 1897: 31
      South Africa, Mpumulanga
    2. P. vassei van der Weele
      Phalascusa vassei van der Weele, 1908: 258
      Mozambique

  16. Genus: PROCTARRELABIS Lefebvre, 1842
    1. P. brunni van der Weele
      Proctarrelabis brunni van der Weele, 1908: 214
      South Africa, Eastern Cape Province
    2. P. capensis (Thunberg)
      Myrmeleon capense Thunberg, 1784: 79
      Ascalaphus annulicornis Burmeister, 1839: 1001
      Proctarrelabis annulicornis (Burmeister): Lefebvre 1842: 6
      Bubo capensis Rambur 1842: 354
      South Africa, Western Cape Province
    3. P. burmeisteri van der Weele
      Ascalaphus capensis Burmeister, 1839: 1002
      Proctarrelabis burmeister van der Weele, 1908: 217
      South Africa, Western Cape Province
    4. P. selysi van der Weele
      Proctarrelabis selysi van der Weele, 1908: 218
      South Africa, Eastern Cape Province
    5. P. involvens (Walker)
      Ascalaphus involvens Walker, 1853: 422
      South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal. Mozambique

  17. Genus: PROCTOLYRA Tjeder, 1992
    1. P. hessei Tjeder
      Proctolyra hessei Tjeder, 1992: 63
      South Africa, Western Cape Province
    2. P. brincki Tjeder
      Proctolyra brincki Tjeder, 1992: 64
      South Africa, Western Cape Province
    3. P. varii Tjeder
      Proctolyra varii Tjeder, 1992: 69
      South Africa, Northern Cape Province
    4. P. flavolineata Tjeder
      Proctolyra flavolineata Tjeder, 1992 71
      Namibia
    5. P. damarensis Tjeder
      Proctolyra damarensis Tjeder, 1992: 72
      Namibia
    6. P. pinheyi Tjeder
      Proctolyra pinheyi Tjeder, 1992: 73
      Zimbabwe

  18. Genus: PROTMESIBASIS van der Weele, 1909
    1. P. devexa Tjeder, 1992
      Protmesibasis devexa Tjeder, 1992: 103
      South Africa, Mpumulanga; Democratic Republic of Congo

  19. Genus: PSEUDOPROCTARRELABRIS van der Weele, 1908
    1. P. elegantulus van der Weele
      Pseudoproctarrelabris elegantulus van der Weele, 1908: 223
      Namibia

  20. Genus: STRIXOMYIA Tjeder, 1989
    1. S. manselli Tjeder
      Strixomyia manselli Tjeder, 1989: 151
      South Africa, Western Cape; Namibia

  21. Genus: TMESIBASIS McLachlan, 1871
    1. T. lacerata (Hagen)
      Ascalaphus lacerata Hagen, 1853: 481
      Tmesibasis lacerata (Hagen): McLachlan 1871: 242
      South Africa, Mpumulanga, Northern Province, North-West Province, Mozambique

  22. Genus: TYTOMYIA Tjeder & Hansson, 1992
    1. T. nigrifrons Tjeder & Hansson, 1992
      Tytomyia nigrifrons Tjeder & Hansson, 1992: 200
      South Africa, Northern Cape Province; Angola, Namibia

This part of A Catalogue of South African Insects revised: