The Antlions and Lacewings (Neuroptera) of South Africa

Compiled by Mervyn W. Mansell

© Copyright of this page belongs to the author.

Introduction

Most Neuroptera are terrestrial. Only one family of South African neuropterans, the Sisyridae, has an aquatic stage in its life cycle, but larvae of the family Osmylidae are associated with stream banks overseas, and this may be the case here too.

Resources

Information about the Neuroptera can be obtained from

BIOSIS Internet Resource Guide - Neuroptera

Gordon Ramel's Lacewing Page

The Neuroptera page of The Tree of Life

NeuroWeb (Scientific resources)

Bibliography of the Neuropterida

California Academy Neuroptera Site Databases, links, etc.

Antlion Pit: a doodlebug anthology (General and cultural information)

Journal of Neuropterology - editorials, abstracts and links

Neuroptera-L - a mailing list

Order: NEUROPTERA

Coniopterygidae (dusty lacewings)

Berothidae

Rhachiberothidae

Sisyridae (spongeflies)

Dilaridae

Osmylidae

Mantispidae (mantisflies)

Psychopsidae (silky lacewings)

Hemerobiidae (brown lacewings)

Chrysopidae (green lacewings)

Nemopteridae (Spoon-, ribbon- and thread-winged lacewings)

Ascalaphidae (owlflies)

Myrmeleontidae (antlions)

REFERENCES

ASPÖCK, U. & MANSELL, M.W. 1994.: A revision of the family Rhachiberothidae Tjeder, 1959, stat. n. (Neuroptera) Systematic Entomology 19: 181-206.
BARNARD, P. C. & BROOKS, S. J. 1984.: The African lacewing genus Ceratochrysa (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae): a predator on the cassava mealybug, Phenacoccus manihoti (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). Systematic Entomology 9: 359-371.
BROOKS, S. J. 1986.: A new synonym in Ceratochrysa Tjeder (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). Neuroptera International 4: 83-84.
BROOKS, S. J. 1994.: A taxonomic review of the common green lacewing genus Chrysoperla (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology Series 63: 137-210.
BROOKS, S. J. & BARNARD, P. C.,: 1990. The green lacewings of the world: a generic review (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology Series 59: 117-286.
HÖLZEL, H. 1989.: Chrysopidae (Neuroptera) der Afrotropischen Region: Genus Chrysoperla Steinmann. Neuroptera International 5: 165-180.
HÖLZEL, H. 1980.: Insects of Saudi Arabia. Neuroptera: Fam. Chrysopidae. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 2: 164-173.
HÖLZEL, H. 1987.: Descriptions of two new Brinckochrysa species from South Africa, with taxonomic notes on other African species of the genus (Neuropteroidea: Planipennia: Chrysopidae). Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 50: 261-268.
MANSELL, M. W. 1977.: A new genus and species in the Crocinae (Neuroptera: Nemopteridae) from southern Africa. Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 40: 195-203.
MANSELL, M. W. 1980.: The Crocinae of southern Africa (Neuroptera: Nemopteridae). 1. The genera Laurhervasia Navás and Thysanocroce Withycombe. Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 43: 341-365.
MANSELL, M. W. 1981.: The Crocinae of southern Africa (Neuroptera: Nemopteridae). 2. The genus Concroce Tjeder. Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 44: 91-106.
MANSELL, M. W. 1985.: The antlions of southern Africa (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae): introduction and genus Bankisus Navás. Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 48: 189-212.
MANSELL, M. W. 1990.: The Myrmeleontidae of southern Africa: tribe Palparini. Introduction and description of Pamares gen. nov., with four new species (Insecta: Neuroptera). Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 53: 165-189.
MANSELL, M. W. 1997.: The antlions of southern Africa (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae): genus Palparellus Navás, including extralimital species. African Entomology 4: 239-267.
OHM, P. & HÖLZEL, H. 1992.: Aspects of biogeography and phenology of Chrysopidae from the Republic of Sudan (Insecta: Neuroptera). In: Canard, M., Aspöck, H. & Mansell, M. W. Current Research in Neuropterology. Proceedings of the Fourth Interational Symposium on Neuropterology. BagnŠres-de-Luchon, France, 1991. 291-301. Toulouse, France.
OHM, P. & HÖLZEL, H. 1997.: Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Neuropterenfauna der Maskarenen (Neuroptera: Coniopterygidae, Hemerobiidae, Chrysopidae, Myrmeleontidae. Entomofauna 18: 221-236
PICKER, M. D. 1984.: A new genus and species of spoon-wing lacewing (Neuroptera: Nemopteridae) from Namaqualand, South Africa. Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 47: 259-268.
TJEDER, B. 1957.: Neuroptera - Planipennia. The lace-wings of southern Africa, 7: Introduction and families Coniopterygidae, Sisyridae and Osmylidae. In: Hanström, B., Brink, P. & Rudebeck, G. (Eds) South African Animal Life 4: 95-118. Almqvist Wiksel, Stockholm.
TJEDER, B. 1972.: Two necessary alterations in long-established genus nomenclature in Ascalaphidae (Neuroptera). Entomologica Scandinavica 3: 153-155.