Coniopterygidae

Dustywings; Temporal range: Toarcian–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Neuroptera
Superfamily:	Coniopterygoidea
Family:	Coniopterygidae ; Burmeister, 1839
Subfamilies
	Aleuropteryginae ; Brucheiserinae ; Coniopteryginae ; and see textContents Description and ecology ; Systematics and taxonomy ; Genera ; Living genera ; Extinct genera ; References ;

Last updated November 07, 2024

The dustywings, Coniopterygidae, are a family of Pterygota (winged insects) of the net-winged insect order (Neuroptera). About 460 living species are known.^[1] These tiny insects can usually be determined to genus with a hand lens according to their wing venation, but to distinguish species, examination of the genitals by microscope is usually necessary.

Description and ecology

In general habitus, the adults are quite unlike other net-winged insects. Because of their small size - wingspan is between 1.8 and 5 millimetres - and their translucent brownish wings usually covered with the namesake whitish dust of waxy scales, they may at first be mistaken for whiteflies (Aleyrodidae). But whiteflies are true bugs (Sternorrhyncha), which are only distantly related to net-winged insects. An easily perceived distinguishing feature to separate whiteflies from dustywings is, that like many other Neuroptera, dustywings carry their wings nearly side-by-side when at rest, whereas whiteflies carry them almost flat across the back. There are no more than two veins across the costal field, and few cross-veins in general - unique among the living net-winged insects, dustywings do not actually have the "net-winged" venation. Some Coniopterygidae, like the genus Conwentzia , have only vestigial hindwings; others, like Helicoconis females, are completely wingless.

Dustywings are strongly associated with woody plants, on and around which they usually spend their entire lives.^[1] Females deposit their eggs singly on bark or leaves. Dustywing larvae are around 3.5 mm long. Their mouthparts consist of short, straight sucking tubes covered by the labrum (upper "lip"). They are crepuscular and dwell on shrubs and trees, where they feed on small invertebrates like scale insects, aphids and mites, as well as on arthropod eggs; the mouth tubes are used for sucking fluids from the prey. There are usually two generations each year.

Systematics and taxonomy

Due to the dustywings' many apomorphies, the superfamily Coniopterygoidea was formerly believed to be monotypic, and the primitive traits of their larvae were held to evidence a quite basal place among the net-winged insects.^[1] But in fact the spongillaflies (Sisyridae), formerly allied with the Osmylidae in error due to their larvae's convergent morphology, seem to be close relatives of the Coniopterygidae, more plesiomorphic altogether as adults but with a number of peculiar and highly divergent apomorphies, particularly in the larvae. So even though the spongillaflies are not generally placed in the Coniopterygoidea yet, they most likely form a clade with the dustywings and thus it would seem that the Coniopterygoidea, rather than being maintained as an unnecessarily monotypic taxon, are better expanded to signify that the spongillaflies and the dustywings are each other's closest relatives among the net-winged insects. This is all the more significant because in this apparent clade, there would be a highly interesting and exactly opposing pattern of evolution - primitive larvae and highly advanced adults in the dustywings, versus primitive adults and very advanced larvae in the spongillaflies.^[2]

Genera

Living genera

Aleuropteryx Löw, 1855
Brucheiser Riek, 1975
Coniocompsa Enderlein, 1905
Coniopteryx Curtis, 1834
Conwentzia Enderlein, 1905
Cryptoscenea Enderlein, 1914
Flintoconis Sziráki, 2007
Helicoconis Enderlein, 1905
Hemisemidalis Meinander, 1972
Heteroconis Enderlein, 1905
Neoconis Enderlein, 1930
Neosemidali s Enderlein, 1930
Nimboa Navas, 1915
Parasemidalis Enderlein, 1905
Semidalis Enderlein, 1905
Spiloconis Enderlein, 1907
Vartiana H. Aspock & U. Aspock, 1965

Extinct genera

The earliest coniopterygid is Toarciconiopteryx from the Early Jurassic (Toarcian) Green Series of Germany, dating to around 182 million years ago, with numerous other fossil species known, predominantly in amber.^[3] The supposed Early Jurassic dustywing genus Archiconiopteryx actually seems to be a whitefly-like true bug.^[1]

Subfamily Aleuropteryginae

†Burmaleuropteryx Bai et al. 2019 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)
†Garnaconis Perrichot and Nel 2014 Vendée amber, France, Late Cretaceous (Turonian)
†Juraconiopteryx Meinander 1975 Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Middle-Late Jurassic (Callovian/Oxfordian)
†Libanoconis Engel 2002 Lebanese amber, Early Cretaceous (Barremian), Taimyr amber, Cenomanian
†Palaeoconis Ružičková et al. 2019 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian
Tribe Coniocompsini Enderlein 1905
- †Archiconiocompsa Enderlein 1910 Baltic amber, Rovno amber, Eocene
- †Geroconiocompsa Engel 2010 Balic amber, Eocene
Tribe Fontenelleini
- †Achlyoconis Engel 2016 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian
- †Alboconis Nel et al. 2005 Charentese amber, France, Cenomanian
- †Archiconis Enderlein 1930 Baltic amber, Eocene
- †Cycloconis Li et al. 2019 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian
- †Glaesoconis Meinander 1975 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian, New Jersey amber, Turonian Taimyr amber, Late Cretaceous (Santonian)
- †Pararchiconis Nel 1991 Alsace, France, Oligocene (Rupelian)
- †Soplaoconis Pérez-de la Fuente et al. 2019 Spanish amber, Early Cretaceous (Albian)

Subfamily Coniopteryginae Burmeister 1839

Tribe Coniopterygini Burmeister 1839
- †Paranimboa Engel 2016 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian
†tribe Phthanoconini Engel 2004
- †Phthanoconis Engel 2004 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian
†Libanosemidalis Azar et al. 2000 Lebanese amber, Barremian
†Mulleroconis Ružičková et al. 2019 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian

Incertae sedis

†Apoglaesoconis Grimaldi 2000 New Jersey amber, Turonian
†Cretaconiopteryx Liu and Lu 2017 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian
†Jurasiatypus Kaddumi 2005 Jordanian amber, Albian

Related Research Articles

The insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order consists of some 6,000 species. Neuroptera is grouped together with the Megaloptera and Raphidioptera (snakeflies) in the unranked taxon Neuropterida.

Snakeflies are a group of predatory insects comprising the order Raphidioptera with two extant families: Raphidiidae and Inocelliidae, consisting of roughly 260 species. In the past, the group had a much wider distribution than it does now; snakeflies are found in temperate regions worldwide but are absent from the tropics and the Southern Hemisphere. Recognisable representatives of the group first appeared during the Early Jurassic. They are a relict group, having reached their apex of diversity during the Cretaceous before undergoing substantial decline.

Psychodidae, also called drain flies, sink flies, filter flies, sewer flies, or sewer gnats, is a family of true flies. Some genera have short, hairy bodies and wings, giving them a "furry" moth-like appearance, hence one of their common names, moth flies. Members of the sub-family Phlebotominae, which are hematophagous, may be called sand flies in some countries, although this term is also used for other unrelated flies.

Mantispidae, known commonly as mantidflies, mantispids, mantid lacewings, mantisflies or mantis-flies, is a family of small to moderate-sized insects in the order Neuroptera. There are many genera with around 400 species worldwide, especially in the tropics and subtropics. Only five species of Mantispa occur in Europe. As their names suggest, members of the group possess raptorial forelimbs similar to those of the praying mantis, a case of convergent evolution.

Osmylidae are a small family of winged insects of the net-winged insect order Neuroptera. The osmylids, also called lance lacewings, stream lacewings or giant lacewings, are found all over the world except North and Central America. There are around 225 extant species.

Pelecinidae is a family of parasitic wasps in the superfamily Proctotrupoidea. It contains only one living genus, Pelecinus, with three species known from the Americas. The earliest fossil species are known from the Jurassic, and the group was highly diverse during the Cretaceous. Members of Pelecinus are parasitic on larval beetles, flies, green lacewings, and sawflies.

The Stephanidae, sometimes called crown wasps, are a family of parasitoid wasps. They are the only living members of the superfamily Stephanoidea. Stephanidae has at least 345 living species in 11 genera. The family is considered cosmopolitan in distribution, with the highest species concentrations in subtropical and moderate climate zones. Stephanidae also contain four extinct genera described from both compression fossils and inclusions in amber.

Megalyroidea is a small hymenopteran superfamily of wasps that includes a single family, Megalyridae, with eight extant genera and 49 described species. Modern megalyrids are found primarily in the southern hemisphere, though fossils have only been found in the northern hemisphere. The most abundant and species-rich megalyrid fauna is in Australia. Another peak of diversity appears to be in the relict forests of Madagascar, but most of these species are still undescribed.

Evaniidae is a family of parasitoid wasps also known as ensign wasps, nightshade wasps, hatchet wasps, or cockroach egg parasitoid wasps. They number around 20 extant genera containing over 400 described species, and are found all over the world except in the polar regions. The larvae of these solitary wasps are parasitoids that feed on cockroaches and develop inside the egg-cases, or oothecae, of their hosts.

Hemerobiidae is a family of Neuropteran insects commonly known as brown lacewings, comprising about 500 species in 28 genera. Most are yellow to dark brown, but some species are green. They are small; most have forewings 4–10 mm long. These insects differ from the somewhat similar Chrysopidae not only by the usual coloring but also by the wing venation: hemerobiids differ from chrysopids in having numerous long veins and forked costal cross veins. Some genera are widespread, but most are restricted to a single biogeographical realm. Some species have reduced wings to the degree that they are flightless. Imagines (adults) of subfamily Drepanepteryginae mimic dead leaves. Hemerobiid larvae are usually less hairy than chrysopid larvae.

The Berothidae are a family of winged insects of the order Neuroptera. They are known commonly as the beaded lacewings. The family was first named by Anton Handlirsch in 1906. The family consists of 24 genera and 110 living species distributed discontinuously worldwide, mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. Numerous extinct species have also been described. Their ecology is poorly known, but in the species where larval stages have been documented, the larvae are predators of termites.

Nymphidae, sometimes called split-footed lacewings, are a family of winged insects of the order Neuroptera. There are 35 extant species native to Australia and New Guinea.

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

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, 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.

Sisyridae, commonly known as spongeflies or spongillaflies, are a family of winged insects in the order Neuroptera. There are approximately 60 living species described, and several extinct species identified from the fossil record.

Spiloconis is a genus of lacewing.

Neoconis is a genus of lacewing.

Serphitidae is a family of microscopic parasitic wasps known from the Cretaceous period.

Umenocoleidae is an extinct family of dictyopteran insects known from the Cretaceous. They are considered to be closely related to the Alienopteridae. They were originally considered to be beetles due to their beetle-like morphology, with sclerotised elytra-like forewings. This was probably an adaptation for living under bark and in other tight spaces.

Dipteromantispidae is an extinct family of neuropterans known from the Cretaceous period. Unlike other neuropterans, the family possesses only a single set of fully developed forewings, with the hindwings reduced to haltere-like structures. They are generally small in size and possess raptorial forelegs. They are considered to belong to Mantispoidea, with an uncertain position within the clade. Some authors have suggested that they represent a subgroup of Mantispidae, and should instead be referred to as the subfamily Dipteromantispinae within that family.

References

1 2 3 4 Engel & Grimaldi (2007)
↑ See references in Haaramo (2008)
↑ Makarkin, Vladimir N.; Ansorge, Jörg (March 2024). "The oldest dustywing (Neuroptera: Coniopterygidae) from the Lower Jurassic of Germany". PalZ. 98 (1): 105–116. doi: 10.1007/s12542-023-00662-w . ISSN 0031-0220.

Engel, Michael S. & Grimaldi, David A. (2007): The neuropterid fauna of Dominican and Mexican amber (Neuropterida, Megaloptera, Neuroptera). American Museum Novitates3587: 1-58. PDF fulltext

This article draws heavily on the corresponding article in the German-language Wikipedia.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[e+g2007-1] 1 2 3 4 Engel & Grimaldi (2007)

[haaramo2008-2] See references in Haaramo (2008)

[3] Makarkin, Vladimir N.; Ansorge, Jörg (March 2024). "The oldest dustywing (Neuroptera: Coniopterygidae) from the Lower Jurassic of Germany". PalZ. 98 (1): 105–116. doi: 10.1007/s12542-023-00662-w . ISSN 0031-0220.

[1]

[2]

[3]