The Nevrorthidae (often incorrectly spelled "Neurorthidae") are a small family of lacewings in the order Neuroptera. There are 19 extant species in four genera, with a geographically disjunct distribution: Nevrorthus, comprising 5 species with scattered distributions around the Mediterranean; Austroneurorthus, with two species known from southeastern Australia; Nipponeurorthus, comprising 11 species known from China and Japan; and Sinoneurorthus, known from a single species described from Yunnan Province, China. They are traditionally placed in the Osmyloidea, alongside Osmylidae and the spongillaflies (Sisyridae), but some research has considered them to be the sister group to the rest of Neuroptera. The larvae have unique straight jaws that are curved at the tips, and live as unspecialised predators in the sandy bottom sediments of clear, fast flowing mountain rivers and streams. They pupate underwater on the underside of stones. The adults are likely predators or feed on honeydew and other sugar-rich fluids.
Apart from the mere four living genera, several species are known from fossils, the oldest being a larva from the Middle Jurassic of China, which already shows aquatic adaptations typical of modern nevorthid larvae.
Taxonomy
After
- Nevrorthus <small>Costa, 1863</small>
- Nevrorthus apatelios <small>H. Aspöck, U. Aspöck & Hölzel, 1977</small> Balkans, Italy
- Nevrorthus fallax <small>(Rambur, 1842)</small> Sardinia and Corsica
- Nevrorthus hannibal <small>U. Aspöck & H. Aspöck, 1983</small> Tunisia, Algeria
- Nevrorthus iridipennis <small>Costa, 1863</small> Calabria, Sicily
- Nevrorthus reconditus <small>Monserrat & Gavira, 2014</small> Malaga, Spain
- Genus Austroneurorthus <small>Nakahara, 1958</small>
- Austroneurorthus brunneipennis <small>(Esben-Petersen, 1929)</small> New South Wales, Queensland, Australia
- Austroneurorthus horstaspoecki <small>U. Aspöck, 2004</small> Victoria, New South Wales, Australia
- Genus Nipponeurorthus <small>Nakahara, 1958</small>
- Nipponeurorthus damingshanicus <small>Liu, H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck, 2014</small> Guangxi, China
- Nipponeurorthus fasciatus <small>Nakahara, 1958</small> China (Taiwan)
- Nipponeurorthus flinti <small>U. Aspöck & H. Aspöck, 2008</small> Japan (Okinawa, Amamioshima).
- Nipponeurorthus furcatus <small>Liu, H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck, 2014</small> China (Yunnan)
- Nipponeurorthus fuscinervis <small>(Nakahara, 1915)</small> Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu)
- Nipponeurorthus multilineatus <small>Nakahara, 1966</small> China (Taiwan).
- Nipponeurorthus pallidinervis <small>Nakahara, 1958</small> Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Tsushima Island).
- Nipponeurorthus punctatus <small>(Nakahara, 1915)</small> Japan (Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu).
- Nipponeurorthus qinicus <small>Yang in Chen, 1998</small> China (Shaanxi).
- Nipponeurorthus tianmushanus <small>Yang & Gao, 2001</small> China (Zhejiang).
- Nipponeurorthus tinctipennis <small>Nakahara, 1958</small> Japan (Yakushima Island).
- Genus Sinoneurorthus <small>Liu, H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck, 2012</small>
- Sinoneurorthus yunnanicus <small>Liu, H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck, 2012</small>, Yunnan, China
Extinct genera
- â Balticoneurorthus <small>Wichard 2016</small> Baltic amber, Eocene
- â Cretarophalis <small>Wichard 2017</small> Burmese amber, Myanmar, Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)
- â Sisyroneurorthus <small>Nakamine et al. 2023</small> Burmese amber, Myanmar, Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)
- â Electroneurorthus <small>Wichard et al. 2010</small> Baltic amber, Eocene
- â Girafficervix <small>Du, Niu & Bao, 2023</small> Daohugou Bed, China, Middle Jurassic
- â Palaeoneurorthus <small>Wichard 2009</small> Baltic amber, Eocene
- â Rophalis <small>Pictet 1854</small> Baltic amber, Rovno amber, Eocene
References