Snakefly
The Snakeflies (Raphidioptera) are a small order of Endopterygote insects. They are closely related to the Megaloptera and Neuroptera.[1]
| Snakefly Temporal range: Lower Jurassic – Recent
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| Female Dichrostigma flavipes | |
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| Order: | Raphidioptera Handlirsch, 1908
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There are about 210 living species. They are easily recognized by their small head and long 'neck', which is actually the elongated prothorax.
The snakefly, about 15 mm (0.6 inch) long, has two pairs of similar, net-veined wings, long antennae, and chewing mouthparts. The female lays eggs with a long ovipositor.
Life cycle
The life cycle includes egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The active and carnivorous larvae live beneath loose tree bark. The snakefly is found on every continent except Australia and may be beneficial to humans because it destroys the larvae and pupae of other insects.[2]
Snakefly Media
Wings of Raphidia ophiopsis showing coloured pterostigmata
Larva of snakefly, Raphidia sp. (collected on dead pinetree in Russia, Tver' Province, near village Staroe)
Snakefly R. confinis? (cropped)
Schlammfliege Sialis sp 5325
Oedosmylus sp., Austin's Ferry Tasmania, Australia
- Micromusvariegatus
Distoleon tetragrammicus01
Juroraphidia longicollum (†Juroraphidiidae) transitional fossil of Middle Jurassic age, from China
Amarantoraphidia (†Mesoraphidiidae) in Early Cretaceous amber, Spain
Ohmella coffini (Raphidiidae) from the Miocene of France
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References
- ↑ Jepson, J.E.; Jarzembowski, E.A. (2008). "Two new species of snakefly (Insecta:Raphidioptera) from the Lower Cretaceous of England and Spain with a review of other fossil raphidiopterans from the Jurassic/Cretaceous transition" (PDF). Alavesia. 2: 193–201. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
- ↑ Aspöck, H. 2002. The biology of Raphidioptera: a review of present knowledge. Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae. 48 (Supplement 2): 35–50. PDF fulltext