Ascalaphinae

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Ascalaphinae
Suhpalacsa subtrahens.jpg
Suhpalacsa subtrahens
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Neuroptera
Family: Ascalaphidae
Subfamily: Ascalaphinae
Genera

70 species (see text)

Ascalaphini is the type subfamily of the neuropteran owlfly family. Most species are found in the tropics. Their characteristic apomorphy , shared with the Ululodini, is the ridge which divides each of their large compound eyes; both groups are thus sometimes known as split-eyed owlflies. The group has been alternatly treated as a subfamily of Ascalaphidae, when the family is treated separate from Myrmelontidae,[1] or as a tribe, when the ascalaphids are treated as a subfamily in an expanded Myrmelontidae.[2]

Like the other owlflies, they are insectivores. Imagines are cumbersome fliers and lack the strong mouthparts of dragonflies (which owlflies resemble at first glance, despite being not at all closely related insects) or other decidedly predatory insects, they are restricted to small and defenseless prey. The larvae on the other hand resemble antlions in appearance and habits and are voracious ambush predators, able to tackle prey like ants that will not be eaten without a struggle.

The ascalaphine split-eyed owlflies form one of the two main lineages of living Ascalaphidae, the other being the Haplogleniini which have unsplit eyes like their ancestors. The first fossil record of the Ascalaphinae dates to the Miocene, and the subfamily thus probably evolved in the latter half or towards the end of the Paleogene.[3]

Genera[edit]

There are 70 described genera in the subfamily Ascalaphinae.[2]

Glyptobasis sp. male

References[edit]

  1. ^ Jones, Joshua R. (6 October 2019). "Total‐evidence phylogeny of the owlflies (Neuroptera, Ascalaphidae) supports a new higher‐level classification". Zoologica Scripta. 48 (6): 761–782. doi:10.1111/zsc.12382.
  2. ^ a b Machado, R. J. P.; Gillung, J. P.; Winterton, S. L.; Garzon‐Orduña, I. J.; Lemmon, A. R.; Lemmon, E. M.; Oswald, J. D. (2018). "Owlflies are derived antlions: Anchored phylogenomics supports a new phylogeny and classification of Myrmeleontidae (Neuroptera)". Systematic Entomology. 44 (2): 418–450. doi:10.1111/syen.12334.
  3. ^ See references in Haaramo (2008)

External links[edit]