Polystoechotidae

Polystoechotes punctatus, photographed by E. S. Ross.

Belongs within: Hemerobiiformia.

The Polystoechotidae, giant lacewings, are currently restricted to the New World (with species in North America and Chile), but are known from the Old World in the Mesozoic (Ren et al. 2002).

Characters (from Ren et al. 2002): Humeral vein strongly recurrent, with numerous forked branches; membrane without microtrichiae; Sc + R₁ entering margin at (or near) wing apex; few r₁-rs crossveins; 1A deeply dichotomous; crossveins of Rs-MA field restricted to 1-3 irregular gradate series distally (lacking numerous crossveins proximally).

<==Polystoechotidae
    |--Polystoechotes punctatus REL02
    |--Platystoechotes REL02
    |--Fontecilla REL02
    |--Lithosmylidia Riek 1955 REL02
    |--Kasachstania Panfilov 1980 REL02
    |--Osmyliodea Panfilov 1980 REL02
    |--Pterocalla Panfilov 1980 REL02
    |--Meilingia Ren, Engel & Lü 2002 REL02
    |    `--*M. giganteus Ren, Engel & Lü 2002 REL02
    `--Jurapolystoechotes Ren, Engel & Lü 2002 REL02
         `--*J. melanolomus Ren, Engel & Lü 2002 REL02

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[REL02] Ren, D., M. S. Engel & W. Lü. 2002. New giant lacewings from the Middle Jurassic of Inner Mongolia, China (Neuroptera: Polystoechotidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 75 (3): 188-193.