Nemoptera Explained

Nemoptera is a Palearctic genus of insects of the spoonwing family, Nemopteridae. All species are diurnal with an exclusively floral diet, preferring to fly in open spaces in full sunshine while visiting flowers. They can be recognized by their very long hind wing prolongations.^[1]

Taxonomy

The genus contains seven species,^[2] three of which are found in Europe.^[3]

• Nemoptera aegyptiaca Rambur, 1842
• Nemoptera alba Olivier, 1811
• Nemoptera bipennis (Illiger, 1812), syn. Nemoptera lusitanica (Leach, 1815)^[4]
• Nemoptera coa (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Nemoptera orientalis Olivier in Bonnaterre et al., 1828
• Nemoptera rachelii U. Aspöck et al., 2006
• Nemoptera sinuata Olivier, 1811

The African species Nemia karrooa was formerly placed in this genus.^[5]

External links

• • Taxonomicon - Genus Nemoptera

Notes and References

1. Krenn . Harald W. . Gereben-Krenn . Barbara-Amina . Steinwender . Bernhardt M. . Popo . Alexi . 2008 . Flower visiting Neuroptera: Mouthparts and feeding behaviour of Nemoptera sinuata (Nemopteridae) . European Journal of Entomology . 105 . 2 . 267–277 . 10.14411/eje.2008.037. 23 November 2010.
2. Web site: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2011 Annual Checklist.. Bisby . F.A. . Roskov . Y.R. . Orrell . T.M. . Nicolson . D. . Paglinawan . L.E. . Bailly . N. . Kirk . P.M. . Bourgoin . T. . Baillargeon . G. . Ouvrard . D. . 2011. Species 2000: Reading, UK.. 11 January 2023.
3. https://web.archive.org/web/20110629083825/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=85660 Fauna Europæa
4. Web site: Nemoptera lusitanica (Leach, 1815) synonym of Nemoptera bipennis . 2010-11-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120315064553/http://kielo.luomus.fi/laji/?t=Nemoptera%20lusitanica&l=en . 2012-03-15 . dead .
5. http://www.metafro.be/neuroptera/onespecies/Nemoptera%20karrooa/taxon Illustrated database of Neuroptera (insects) - Nemoptera karrooa