Revision of the Australian Ascalaphidae (Insecta : Neuroptera)

Abstract

The Australian Ascalaphidae are revised. and keys and figures provided to enable identification of all genera and species. Thirty-six species are recognized. distributed amongst 15 genera of Ascalaphinae: 11 new genera and 25 new species are described. The new genera (number of new species in parentheses) are Venacsa (1). Pilacmonotus. Megacmonotus (1). Pseudodisparomitus (1). Parasuphulomitus (2). Lobalacsa (2). Angustacsa (1). Pictacsa (3). Forcepacsa (1). Umbracsa (1) and Dentalacsa (1). Other new species are in Suhpalacsa (10) and Suphalomitus (1). Several synonyms are established .

Chronological Changes in Terrestrial Insect Assemblages in the Arid Zone of Australia

“…The groups chosen for study covered a broad taxonomic range, comprising holometabolous and hemimetabolous orders, winged and wingless species and a variety of life histories. The following taxa were identiÞed to the indicated taxonomic rank using the following publications: butterßies (to species using Braby 2000); Dezmozosteria (Blattodea, to species using Mackerras 1966); Embioptera (to genus using Ross 1991); Hymenoptera (to family, excluding the Chalcidoidea and Mymarommatoidea, using Stevens et al 2007); Sphecidae (to genus using Bohart andMenke 1976, Pulawski 2009); Isoptera (to genus using Hill 1942, Watson andGay 1991); Neuroptera (to genus or species using Aspö ck and Aspö ck 1984Aspö ck , 1986Lambkin 1986a,b;New 1980New , 1984New , 1985aNew ,b,c, 1988New , 1991; and Thysanura (to genus using Paclt 1967). Once the termites were identiÞed to genus it was apparent that very large numbers of the termitid Drepanotermes had been collected in the pitfall and malaise traps, and so to provide more ecological information on this highly abundant genus the alate, worker, and soldier castes were separated and scored as three separate ÔtaxaÕ for some analyses.…”

Total‐evidence phylogeny of the owlflies (Neuroptera, Ascalaphidae) supports a new higher‐level classification

“…Until now, however, virtually no phylogenetic investigation has focused primarily on the Ascalaphidae. Some authors have recognized this and called for such a study (Engel, Winterton, & Breitkreuz, 2018;Henry, 1978a;New, 1984;Penny 1982;Riek, 1968;Tjeder, 1992). Numerous works have included owlflies in estimates of relationships among lacewing families (Figures S1-S8), but taxon sampling of ascalaphids in these studies almost universally has been limited to one or a handful of species, with recent studies on owlflies by Jones (2014-the unpublished dissertation upon which the current work is based) and antlions by Machado et al (2018) being exceptional.…”

Divided and undivided compound eyes in Ascalaphidae (Insecta, Neuroptera) and their functional and phylogenetic significance

“…Information about systematics and taxonomy of Ascalaphidae and Neuroptera can be found in Aspöck et al. (1980, 2001a), Penny (1981), New (1984), Oswald and Penny (1991) and Tjeder and Hansson (1992).…”

“…Studies were made of males and females of 13 species of the Ascalaphidae family, collected by H. Ho¨lzel Tjeder, 1977 (Tjeder andWaterston 1977) (Maskat, Oman, 23°28¢N, 58°36¢E). Information about systematics and taxonomy of Ascalaphidae and Neuroptera can be found in Aspo¨ck et al (1980Aspo¨ck et al ( , 2001a, Penny (1981), New (1984), Oswald and Penny (1991) and Tjeder and Hansson (1992).…”