Rhachiberothidae

Rhachiberothidae, sometimes called thorny lacewings, are a family of winged insects in the order Neuroptera. The family has only 14 extant species in four genera found in Sub-Saharan Africa, but has a diverse fossil record extending back to the Early Cretaceous in Lebanon (then part of North Gondwana), Eurasia and North America. Like the closely related Mantispidae members of the group possess raptorial forelegs, which probably only evolved once in the common ancestor of the groups.

Long included in the Berothidae (beaded lacewings), they are usually considered a separate family by current authors. Another closely related group are the mantidflies (Mantispidae), and at least some of the probably paraphyletic group of fossil forms collectively called "Mesithonidae" also seem to be quite close.

Taxonomy

• Rhachiberothidae <small>Tjeder, 1959</small>
• †Paraberothinae <small>Nel et al., 2005</small>
• †Acanthoberotha <small>Nakamine et al, 2020</small> <small>Burmese amber, Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)</small>
• †Albertoberotha <small>McKellar & Engel, 2009 Canadian amber, Late Cretaceous (Campanian)</small>
• †Alboberotha <small>Nel et al., 2005 Charentese amber, France, Cenomanian</small>
• †Astioberotha <small>Nakamine et al, 2020</small> <small>Burmese amber, Cenomanian</small>
• †Chimerhachiberotha <small>Nel et al., 2005 Lebanese amber, Early Cretaceous (Barremian)</small>
• †Creagroparaberotha <small>Makarkin, 2015 Burmese amber, Cenomanian</small>
• †Eorhachiberotha <small>Engel, 2004 Burmese amber, Cenomanian</small>
• †Kujiberotha <small>Nakamine & Yamamoto, 2018 Kuji amber, Japan, Late Cretaceous (Santonian)</small>
• †Micromantispa <small>Shi et al., 2015 Burmese amber, Cenomanian</small>
• †Paraberotha <small>Whalley, 1980 Lebanese amber, Barremian</small>
• †Raptorapax <small>Petrulevicius et al., 2010 Lebanese amber, Barremian</small>
• †Retinoberotha <small>Schlüter, 1978 Bezonnais amber, France, Cenomanian</small>
• †Rhachibermissa <small>Grimaldi, 2000 New Jersey amber, Late Cretaceous (Turonian)</small>
• †Scoloberotha <small>Engel & Grimaldi, 2008 Burmese amber, Cenomanian</small>
• †Spinoberotha <small>Nel et al., 2005 Lebanese amber, Barremian</small>
• †Stygioberotha <small>Nakamine et al, 2020</small> <small>Burmese amber, Cenomanian</small>
• †Uranoberotha <small>Nakamine et al, 2020</small> <small>Burmese amber, Cenomanian</small>
• Rhachiberothinae <small>Tjeder, 1959</small>
• Hoelzeliella <small>Aspöck & Aspöck, 1997</small>
• Mucroberotha <small>Tjeder, 1959</small>
• Rhachiberotha <small>Tjeder, 1959</small>
• Rhachiella <small>Aspöck, Aspöck, Johnson, Donga & Duelli, 2020</small>
• †Whalfera <small>Engel, 2004 Baltic amber, Eocene</small>
• Incertae sedis
• †Oisea <small>Nel et al., 2005 Oise amber, France, Eocene (Ypresian)</small>
• †Paradoxoberotha Nakamine et al. 2022 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian

References