NEUROPTERAN

a member of the insect order Neuroptera, which is now generally restricted to the lacewings but formerly included also the dobsonflies and alderflies (now assigned to the order Megaloptera) as well as the snakeflies (order Raphidiodea). Between them the three groups comprise some 4,600 species. The three orders that constitute the broad sense of neuropteran are thought to have evolved from a common stem, that of the scorpionfly (Mecoptera), from which they diverged at different times during the Carboniferous Period (about 325,000,000 to 345,000,000 years ago). There are structural resemblances between the three orders, and they live in similar habitats. Neuropterans are found all over the world. Neuropterans have long antennae and two pairs of transparent, net-veined wings, which in lacewings range from 2 to 50 mm (0.08 to 2 inches) in span. Although the wings are intricately structured, these insects are not strong fliers. When at rest the wings fold, rooflike, over the body. The neuropterans are generally carnivorous, feeding mostly upon smaller, soft-bodied insects, such as mites, ants, and aphids, and on insect eggs and larvae. Their mouth structures are adapted for piercing and chewing. The larvae of most Neuroptera species live on land; megalopteran larvae are aquatic, while raphidiodean larvae live under loose tree bark. Like the adult forms, the larval forms are generally predacious. Neuropterans lay their eggs loosely in soil or cement them to some surface. The females of the Megaloptera lay their eggs in water. Raphidiodean females have an ovipositor, or egg-laying organ, with which they deposit their eggs in fissures in tree bark. Neuropteran larvae spin double cocoons, one inside the other. After pupation the emerging adults generally cut themselves free with their mandibles. Little is known of the feeding habits of the adult neuropterans except that they are frequently nocturnal. Both larval and adult forms serve as food for many larger species of insects, as well as for birds and bats. They are also an important food source for trout and other freshwater fish and are often used as bait. any member of the insect order Neuroptera. At one time the term neuropteran referred to many groups of insects that are now placed in other orders, so that, in a strict sense, the order Neuroptera now includes only the lacewings. Frequently, however, two other closely related insect groups are included as neuropterans. These are the snakeflies (Raphidiodea), so-called for their body shape, and the dobsonflies and alderflies (Megaloptera). For completeness of discussion, therefore, all three groups, considered here as three separate orders, are included in this article. Keith Arthur John Wise Additional reading F.J. Killington, Monograph of the British Neuroptera, 2 vol. (193637), an excellent monograph; C.L. Withycombe, Some Aspects of the Biology and Morphology of the Neuroptera, with Special Reference to the Immature Stages and Their Possible Phylogenetic Significance, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., pt. 34, pp. 303411 (192425), a good source for information. Keith Arthur John Wise