Revision of the South American stiletto fly genera Entesia Oldroyd and Melanothereva Malloch, with the description of a new genus (Therevidae: Agapophytinae).

The South American members of the stiletto fly subfamily Agapophytinae (Diptera: Therevidae) occur in the South American Transition Zone, predominantly in Chile and southwestern Argentina. The four agapophytine genera described from this region are Entesia Oldroyd, 1968; Melanothereva Malloch 1932; Pachyrrhiza Philippi, 1865; and more recently, Sigalopella Irwin & Winterton, 2020. Here we revise Melanothereva and Entesia and describe the new monotypic genus Pachylopella. Keys to South American Agapophytinae genera and species of Melanothereva and Entesia are provided.

The genus Climaciella Enderlein, 1910 (Neuroptera, Mantispidae) in French Guiana.

The genus Climaciella Enderlein, 1910 is a remarkable group of mantidflies (Neuroptera: Mantispidae: Mantispinae) distributed from Canada to Argentina, including parts of the Caribbean. This genus comprises nine valid extant species plus an extinct species from the late Oligocene of France. Species exhibit Batesian mimicry with vespid wasps (Vespidae). Herein, six species of Climaciella from French Guiana are documented. Before this study only C.semihyalina (Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau & Audinet-Serville in Latreille et al. 1825) was known from this territory. Two new species, C.elektroptera Ardila-Camacho, Winterton & Contreras-Ramos, sp. nov. and C.nigriflava Ardila-Camacho, Winterton & Contreras-Ramos, sp. nov., are described as well as the first records of C.amapaensis Penny, 1982, and C.tincta (Navás, 1914) provided from French Guiana. An unknown species recorded from a single female specimen is also presented. Based on the examination of material of C.amapaensis recorded here, a specimen previously recorded from Colombia as belonging to this species is herein proposed as a new species, C.risaraldensis Ardila-Camacho, sp. nov. A taxonomic key and high-resolution images of the species from French Guiana are provided.

Similar pattern, different paths: tracing the biogeographical history of Megaloptera (Insecta: Neuropterida) using mitochondrial phylogenomics.

The sequential breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea since the Middle Jurassic is one of the crucial factors that has driven the biogeographical patterns of terrestrial biotas. Despite decades of effort searching for concordant patterns between diversification and continental fragmentation among taxonomic groups, increasing evidence has revealed more complex and idiosyncratic scenarios resulting from a mixture of vicariance, dispersal and extinction. Aquatic insects with discreet ecological requirements, low vagility and disjunct distributions represent a valuable model for testing biogeographical hypotheses by reconstructing their distribution patterns and temporal divergences. Insects of the order Megaloptera have exclusively aquatic larvae, their adults have low vagility, and the group has a highly disjunct geographical distribution. Here we present a comprehensive phylogeny of Megaloptera based on a large-scale mitochondrial genome sequencing of 99 species representing >90% of the world genera from all major biogeographical regions. Molecular dating suggests that the deep divergence within Megaloptera pre-dates the breakup of Pangaea. Subsequently, the intergeneric divergences within Corydalinae (dobsonflies), Chauliodinae (fishflies) and Sialidae (alderflies) might have been driven by both vicariance and dispersal correlated with the shifting continent during the Cretaceous, but with strikingly different and incongruent biogeographical signals. The austral distribution of many corydalids appears to be a result of colonization from Eurasia through southward dispersal across Europe and Africa during the Cretaceous, whereas a nearly contemporaneous dispersal via northward rafting of Gondwanan landmasses may account for the colonization of extant Eurasian alderflies from the south.

Revision of South American stiletto fly genus Argolepida Metz amp; Irwin (Diptera: Therevidae: Therevinae).

The stiletto fly genus Argolepida Metz Irwin, 2003 is revised. Members of this genus are diminutive, yet distinctive, flies restricted to southern South America. Argolepida rivulosa (Krber, 1928) is redescribed and seven new species are described and figured. A key to species is presented.

Revision of the Patagonian stiletto fly genus Pachyrrhiza Philippi (Therevidae: Agapophytinae).

In South America, the stiletto fly subfamily Agapophytinae (Diptera: Therevidae) occurs predominantly in the Patagonian region where it is represented by four genera: Pachyrrhiza Philippi, Melanothereva Malloch, Entesia Oldroyd and Sigalopella Irwin Winterton. Here we revise the genus Pachyrrhiza with an additional four new species described and figured.

A new species of Joguina Navás, 1912 from India (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae).

A new species of the delicate lacewing, Joguina Navás, 1912 (Chrysopidae: Apochrysinae) is described and figured from south-western India. A key to species of Joguina is presented as well as revised diagnoses of both Joguina and its sister genus, Lainius Navás, 1913 stat. rev.

A new species of Amplisegmentum Webb (Diptera: Therevidae) from Venezuela.

A new species of Amplisegmentum Webb (Therevidae: Therevinae) is described from Venezuela, a previously monotypic genus otherwise known only from Ecuador. A revised diagnosis of the genus and a key to species is presented.

New stiletto flies from New Caledonia (Therevidae, Agapophytinae).

Stiletto-flies (Diptera: Therevidae) are highly diverse and species-rich in Australia and New Zealand, yet relatively few species have been recorded from neighbouring Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and throughout the remainder of Oceania. Indeed, in New Caledonia only a single species of the widely distributed Australasian genus Anabarhynchus Macquart (Therevinae) is previously known. Herein we describe two new agapophytine genera (i.e., Jeanchazeauia gen. nov., Calophytus gen. nov.), together comprising nine charismatic new species; this represents a first record of the subfamily from New Caledonia. The new genera and species are described and figured.

A new bee-mimicking stiletto fly (Therevidae) from China discovered on iNaturalist.

The Chinese stiletto fly fauna is poorly known, with few species previously described and no endemic genera. A new genus and species of charismatic stiletto fly is described from northern China. Although the species was previously known from a poorly preserved specimen, the true form of this apparent bumble bee-mimic was not known until images of a live individual were discovered amongst photographs posted on iNaturalist, an online citizen scientist and biodiversity social network.

A new genus of therevine stiletto flies from South America (Diptera: Therevidae).

A new genus of Therevidae (Dasythereva gen. n.) is described from Argentina and Chile and comprises two distinctive new species (Dasythereva penai sp. n., D. patagonia sp. n.) from sandy habitats. A key to genera of Neotropical Therevinae is included to accommodate the inclusion of this new genus.

Review of the green lacewing genus Apochrysa Schneider (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae).

Delicate green lacewings in the genus Apochrysa Schneider (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae: Apochrysinae) are reviewed with each species diagnosed and figured; a key to species is included.

A new stiletto fly genus from South America (Diptera: Therevidae: Agapophytinae).

The South American members of the stiletto fly subfamily Agapophytinae (Diptera: Therevidae) comprise three genera that occur predominantly in the western region. Here we describe a newly discovered genus, Sigalopella gen. n., from Chile containing four new species.

Lance lacewings of the world (Neuroptera: Archeosmylidae, Osmylidae, Saucrosmylidae): review of living and fossil genera.

The genera of the lance lacewing family Osmylidae (Neuroptera) and extinct allied families (Archeosmylidae, Saucrosmylidae) are reviewed. A key to living Osmylidae genera of the world is presented. Each genus is diagnosed and figured with a checklist of species included for each. New, revised or support for previous taxonomic changes include the following: Nuddsia Menon Makarkin, 2008 (= Burmaleon Myskowiak et al., 2016 syn. nov.); Kempynus Navás, 1912 (= Clydosmylus New 1983a syn. nov.); Osmylus Latreille, 1802 (= Hyposmylus McLachlan; Dictyosmylus Navás, 1910; Plesiosmylus, Makarkin, 1985; Plethosmylus Krüger, 1913a); Parosmylus Needham, 1909 (= Mesosmylus Krüger, 1913c; Phlebosmylus Navás, 1928 syn. nov.); Thaumatosmylus Krüger, 1913a (= Glenosmylus Krüger, 1913a syn. nov.). New classification changes include: Mesomylidus Jepson, 2012 and Petrushevkia Martynova, 1958 are transferred to Protosmylinae; Lahulus Navás, 1930 is placed in Osmylinae; Stenosmylina Jepson et al., 2009 is transferred to Eidoporisminae. Cratovoluptia Martins-Neto Rodrigues, 2009 is removed from Osmylidae and transferred to Ithonidae, while Cratosmylus Myskowiak et al., 2015 is transferred to Nymphidae. Idiastogyia Lin, 1986 and Yanosmylus Ren in Ren et al., 1995 are excluded from Osmylidae and placed as incertae sedis in Neuroptera.

Attraction of the Green Lacewing Chrysoperla comanche (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) to Yeast.

Many adult Chrysoperla comanche (Stephens) green lacewings were caught in traps baited with live yeast cultures during tests designed to catch olive fruit flies. All 13 yeast species tested were more attractive than the industry-standard dried torula yeast (Cyberlindnera jadinii; syn. Candida utilis). Live C. jadinii culture attracted significantly more lacewings than the inactive dried-pellet form of the same yeast species, demonstrating that volatiles from live yeast cultures attract adults of this lacewing. Odor profiles for two of the highly active yeasts tested herein (Lachancea thermotolerans and Solicoccozyma terrea) were similar to that for Metschnikowia pulcherrima, a yeast species isolated earlier from the gut diverticulum of Chrysoperla rufilabris. A new Metschnikowia species (M. chrysoperlae), along with two new Candida spp. that were recently realigned to one of the Metschnikowia clades (M. picachoensis and M. pimensis), were also identified from the diverticulum of C. comanche. Thus, one clade of Metschnikowia yeasts that commonly occur in floral nectar appears to exhibit mutualistic symbioses with Chrysoperla green lacewings. Both male and female C. comanche adults were attracted in the present study, and we speculate that males have exploited this symbiosis by offering Metschnikowia-laden regurgitant, including attractive volatiles, to females ('mating trophallaxis') as a nuptial gift.

A new stiletto fly in the genus Anabarhynchus Macquart (Diptera: Therevidae)from Fiji.

An unusual species of Anabarhynchus Macquart is described and represents the first record of a stiletto fly from Fiji.

Anchored phylogenomics unravels the evolution of spider flies (Diptera, Acroceridae) and reveals discordance between nucleotides and amino acids.

The onset of phylogenomics has contributed to the resolution of numerous challenging evolutionary questions while offering new perspectives regarding biodiversity. However, in some instances, analyses of large genomic datasets can also result in conflicting estimates of phylogeny. Here, we present the first phylogenomic scale study of a dipteran parasitoid family, built upon anchored hybrid enrichment and transcriptomic data of 240 loci of 43 ingroup acrocerid taxa. A new hypothesis for the timing of spider fly evolution is proposed, wielding recent advances in divergence time dating, including the fossilized birth-death process to show that the origin of Acroceridae is younger than previously proposed. To test the robustness of our phylogenetic inferences, we analyzed our datasets using different phylogenetic estimation criteria, including supermatrix and coalescent-based approaches, maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods, combined with other approaches such as permutations of the data, homogeneous versus heterogeneous models, and alternative data and taxon sets. Resulting topologies based on amino acids and nucleotides are both strongly supported but critically discordant, primarily in terms of the monophyly of Panopinae. Conflict was not resolved by controlling for compositional heterogeneity and saturation in third codon positions, which highlights the need for a better understanding of how different biases affect different data sources. In our study, results based on nucleotides were both more robust to alterations of the data and different analytical methods and more compatible with our current understanding of acrocerid morphology and patterns of host usage.

Phylogeny and Evolution of Neuropterida: Where Have Wings of Lace Taken Us?

The last 25 years of phylogenetic investigation into the three orders constituting the superorder Neuropterida-Raphidioptera, Megaloptera, and Neuroptera-have brought about a dramatic revision in our understanding of the evolution of lacewings, snakeflies, dobsonflies, and their diverse relatives. Phylogenetic estimations based on combined analyses of diverse data sources, ranging from adult and larval morphology to full mitochondrial genomic DNA, have begun to converge on similar patterns, many times in accordance with hypotheses put forth by Cyril Withycombe nearly a century ago. These data, in combination with information from the fossil record, have given a revised perspective on the historical evolution and classification of Neuropterida, necessitating an overhaul of their organization and providing focus and insight on fruitful future efforts for neuropterology.

New Philippine species of Spilosmylus Kolbe (Neuroptera, Osmylidae).

New species of lance lacewings, Spilosmylus spilopteryxsp. n. and Spilosmylus tephrodestigmasp. n., are described from the Philippines and compared with congeners. Both species are characterised by a distinctive wing pattern, which in the case of Spilosmylus spilopteryxsp. n. is relatively spectacular among lacewings. An identification key to the species of Spilosmylus Kolbe known from the Philippines is also provided.

Phylogenetic relationships among tribes of the green lacewing subfamily Chrysopinae recovered based on mitochondrial phylogenomics.

Chrysopidae (green lacewings) is the second largest family in Neuroptera, and it includes medium-size lacewings largely recognized by the presence of golden-colored eyes, bright green bodies and delicate wings with dense venation patterns. The subfamily Chrysopinae includes 97% of the species diversity in the family and it is currently divided into four tribes: Ankylopterygini, Belonopterygini, Chrysopini and Leucochrysini. Here we sequenced and annotated the nearly complete mitochondrial genomes of four species of each these tribes: Abachrysa eureka, Italochrysa insignis, Leucochrysa pretiosa, Parankyloteryx sp. We then reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships with estimated divergence times among tribes of Chrysopinae based on the mt genomic data. Our results suggest that Chrysopinae sans Nothancyla verreauxi evolved as two reciprocally monophyletic lineages formed by stem members of the tribes Leucochrysini plus Belonopterygini on one hand, and the stem members of Ankylopterygini plus Chrysopini on the other. Our estimations of divergence times place the diversification of stem Chrysopinae into the extant tribes during the Middle Jurassic to Late Cretaceous. The relatively young ages previously estimated for the green lacewing divergences were probably underestimated due to false inferences of homology between non-sister taxa that are later correctly identified as homoplasy after more taxa are added.

Mitochondrial phylogenomics illuminates the evolutionary history of Neuropterida.

Neuroptera (lacewings) and allied orders Megaloptera (dobsonflies, alderflies) and Raphidioptera (snakeflies) are predatory insects and together make up the clade Neuropterida. The higher-level relationships within Neuropterida have historically been widely disputed with multiple competing hypotheses. Moreover, the evolution of important biological innovations among various Neuropterida families, such as the origin, timing and direction of transitions between aquatic and terrestrial habitats of larvae, remains poorly understood. To investigate the origin and diversification of lacewings and their allies, we undertook phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial genomes of all families of Neuropterida using Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony methods. We present a robust, fully resolved phylogeny and divergence time estimation for Neuropterida with strong statistical support for almost all nodes. Mitochondrial sequence data are typified by significant compositional heterogeneity across lineages, and parsimony and models assuming homogeneous rates did not recover Neuroptera as monophyletic. Only a model accounting for compositional heterogeneity (i.e. CAT-GTR) recovered all orders of Neuropterida as monophyletic. Significant findings of the mitogenomic phylogeny include recovering Raphidioptera as sister to Megaloptera plus Neuroptera. The sister family of all other lacewings are the dusty-wings (Coniopterygidae), rather than Nevrorthidae. Nevrorthidae are instead returned to their traditional position as the sister group of the spongilla-flies (Sisyridae) and closely related to Osmylidae. Our divergence time analysis indicates that the Mesozoic was indeed a 'golden age' for lacewings, with most families of Neuropterida diverging during the Triassic and Jurassic and all extant families present by the Early Cretaceous. Based on ancestral character state reconstructions of larval habitat we evaluate competing hypotheses regarding the life style of early neuropteridan larvae as either aquatic or terrestrial.