Psychopsidae

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Psychopsidae

Psychopsidae is a family of winged insects of the order Neuroptera. They are commonly called silky lacewings.

The silky lacewings are distinguishable in their adult stage by their attractively patterned and pubescent wings known as vena triplica.^[1]

They were formerly placed in the superfamily Hemerobioidea, but do not seem to be closely related to these net-winged insects at all. Rather, might be closer to the Myrmeleontoidea which contain for example the antlions (Myrmeleontidae). In particular, the spoon-winged laceflies (Nemopteridae) seem to be very closely related to the silky lacewings. These had at one time been placed in a superfamily Nemopteroidea. The fossil family Osmylopsychopidae was - as indicated by their scientific name - initially believed to be intermediate between the Psychopsidae and the Osmylidae. But actually these similarities are due to plesiomorphies in the first case, and simply misperceived in the second; the osmylopsychopids are one of the basal lineages of the Myrmeleontoidea as traditionally defined. The Nemopteroidea were eventually abolished and its members included in the Myrmeleontoidea. But as the silky and spoon-winged lacewings together with the "butterfly" lacewings of the Kalligrammatidae do seem to form a quite distinct clade among the expanded Myrmeleontoidea, it appears well warranted to reinstate the Nemopteroidea for them.^{[citation needed]}

Silky lacewings were especially more diverse from the Triassic period to the Tertiary than in modern times.^[1]

The family currently includes five living genera in two subfamilies:

Family Psychopsidae
- Subfamily Psychopsinae
  - Genus Balmes (Southwestern through southern Asia)
    - Species Balmes birmanus (McLachlan, 1891
    - Species Balmes chikuni Wang & Bao, 2006
    - Species Balmes formosus (Kuwayama, 1927
    - Species Balmes gallardi (Tillyard, 1919
    - Species Balmes notabilis Navás, 1912
    - Species Balmes terissinus Navás, 1910
  - Genus Psychopsis Newman, 1842 (Australia)
    - Species Psychopsis barnardi Tillyard, 1925
    - Species Psychopsis birmana McLachlan, 1891
    - Species Psychopsis coelivaga (Walker, 1853)
    - Species Psychopsis dumigani Tillyard, 1922]
    - Species Psychopsis elegans (Guérin-Méneville, 1844)
    - Species Psychopsis felina Navás, 1912
    - Species Psychopsis formosa Kuwayama, 1927
    - Species Psychopsis gallardi (Tillyard, 1919)
    - Species Psychopsis gracilis Tillyard, 1919
    - Species Psychopsis illidgei Froggatt, 1903
    - Species Psychopsis insolens McLachlan, 1863
    - Species Psychopsis leonina (Navás, 1910)
    - Species Psychopsis maculipennis Tillyard, 1925
    - Species Psychopsis margarita Tillyard, 1922
    - Species Psychopsis marshalli McLachlan, 1902
    - Species Psychopsis meyricki McLachlan, 1887
    - Species Psychopsis mimica Newman, 1842]
    - Species Psychopsis nebulosa van der Weele, 1907
    - Species Psychopsis newmani Froggatt, 1903
    - Species Psychopsis notabilis (Navás, 1912)
    - Species Psychopsis notha Navás, 1928
    - Species Psychopsis terissina (Navás, 1910)
    - Species Psychopsis tillyardi New, 1989
    - Species Psychopsis verreauxina (Navás, 1910)
    - Species Psychopsis zebra Brauer, 1889
    - Species Psychopsis (Orientichopsis) formosa Kuwayama, 1927
- Subfamily Zygophlebiinae
  - Genus Cabralis Navás, 1912 (central to southern Africa)
    - Species Cabralis gloriosus Navás, 1912
  - Genus Silveira Navás, 1912 (Afrotropical)
    - Species Silveira jordani Kimmins, 1939
    - Species Silveira marmoratus Navás, 1912
    - Species Silveira marshalli (McLachlan, 1902)
    - Species Silveira occultus Tjeder, 1960
    - Species Silveira rufus Tjeder, 1960
  - Genus Zygophlebius Navás, 1910 (central and southern Africa)
    - Species Zygophlebius leoninus Navás, 1910
    - Species Zygophlebius nebulosus (van der Weele, 1907)
    - Species Zygophlebius pseudosilveira Oswald, 1994
    - Species Zygophlebius verreauxinus Navás, 1910
    - Species Zygophlebius zebra (Brauer, 1889)

The following extinct genera are based on Peng et al. 2011:^[1]

Family Psychopsidae
- Genus †Angaropsychops
  - Species †Angaropsychops sinicus (?Early Cretaceous; Liaoning, China)
  - Species †Angaropsychops turgensis (Hauterivian; Transbaikalia, Russia)
- Genus †Apeirophlebia
  - Species †Apeirophlebia grandis (Toarcian; Dobbertin, Germany)
- Genus †Archepsychops
  - Species †Archepsychops triassicus (Carnian; Queensland, Australia)
- Genus †Arctopsychops
  - Species †Arctopsychops zherikhini (Turonian; NE Siberia, Russia)
- Genus †Baisopsychops
  - Species †Baisopsychops lambkini (Pre-Barremian: Transbaikalia, Russia)
- Genus †Beipiaopsychops
  - Species †Beipiaopsychops triangulatus (Aalenian/Bajocian; Liaoning, China)
- Genus †Calopsychops
  - Species †Calopsychops extinctus (Oxfordian/Kimmeridgian; Karatau, Kazakhstan)
- Genus †Cretapsychops
  - Species †Cretapsychops decipiens (Aalenian/Bajocian; Daohugou, China)
  - Species †Cretapsychops corami (Barremian; Wealden, UK)
- Genus †Embaneura
  - Species †Embaneura vachrameevi (Cenomanian; Emba, Kazakhstan)
- Genus †Epipsychopsis
  - Species †Epipsychopsis fusca (Pre-Barremian; Transbaikalia, Russia)
  - Species †Epipsychopsis variegata (Pre-Barremian; Transbaikalia, Russia)
- Genus †Grammapsychops
  - Species †Grammapsychops lebedevi (Cenomanian; Siberia, Russia)
- Genus †Kagapsychops
  - Species †Kagapsychops aranea (Valanginian/Barremian; Kuwajima, Japan)
  - Species †Kagapsychops continentalis (Turonian; Kzyl-Zhar, Kazakhstan)
- Genus †Litopsychopsis
  - Species †Litopsychopsis burmitica (Albian; Burmese Amber)
- Genus †Micropsychops
  - Species †Micropsychops parallelus (Barremian; Wealden, UK)
- Genus †Miopsychopsis
  - Species †Miopsychopsis relicta (Late Eocene/Early Oligocene; Sikhote-Alin, Russia)
  - Species †Miopsychopsis sikhotensis (Late Eocene/Early Oligocene; Sikhote-Alin, Russia)
- Genus †Propsychops
  - Species †Propsychops karatavicus(Oxfordian/Kimmeridgian; Karatau, Kazakhstan)
- Genus †Propsychopsis
  - Species †Propsychopsis helmi (Lutetian/Bartonian; Baltic Amber)
  - Species †Propsychopsis hageni (Lutetian/Bartonian; Baltic Amber)
  - Species †Propsychopsis lapicidae (Lutetian/Bartonian; Baltic Amber)
- Genus †Psychopsites
  - Species †Psychopsites rolandi (Hauterivian; Wealden, UK)
- Genus †Pulchroptilonia
  - Species †Pulchroptilonia espatifata (Aptian; Araripe Basin, Brazil)
- Genus †Putzneura
  - Species †Putzneura parcimoniosa (Aptian; Araripe Basin, Brazil)
- Genus †Sinopsychops
  - Species †Sinopsychops chengdeensis (Aalenian/Bajocian; Hebei, China)
- Genus †Triassopsychops
  - Species †Triassopsychops superbus (Carnian; Queensland, Australia)
- Genus †Undulopsychopsis
  - Species †Undulopsychopsis alexi (Barremian; Liaoning, China)
- Genus †Valdipsychops
  - Species †Valdipsychops minimus (Hauterivian; Wealden, UK)
  - Species †Valdipsychops brigidae (Barremian; Wealden, UK)
  - Species †Valdipsychops logunovi (Barremian; Wealden, UK)
  - Species †Valdipsychops proudlovei (Barremian; Wealden, UK)
  - Species †Valdipsychops maculosus (Barremian; Wealden, UK)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Peng, Y.; Makarkin, V.N.; Wang, X.; Ren, D. (2011). "A new fossil silky lacewing genus (Neuroptera, Psychopsidae) from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of China". ZooKeys 130: 217–228. doi:10.3897/zookeys.130.1576.

Additional sources

Engel, Michael S. & Grimaldi, David A. (2007): The neuropterid fauna of Dominican and Mexican amber (Neuropterida, Megaloptera, Neuroptera). American Museum Novitates 3587: 1-58. PDF fulltext

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