Nymphidae

Nymphidae, sometimes called split-footed lacewings, are a family of winged insects of the order Neuroptera. There are 35 extant species native to Australia and New Guinea.

Nymphidae stand somewhat apart from other living Myrmeleontoidea. The antlions (Myrmeleontidae) and the owlflies (Ascalaphidae) are more closely related to them, but the bulk of the Nymphidae sister groups include extinct taxa known only from fossils, such as the Nymphitidae, Osmylopsychopidae or Babinskaiidae. The spoonwings (Nemopteridae) were at one time also believed to be quite closely related, but they seem to belong to another lineage of Myrmeleontiformia altogether. The family is divided into two major subfamilies, Nymphinae and Myiodactylinae. The larvae of nymphines are similar to antlions, with relatively elongate bodies, and camouflage themselves in debris, living and hunting on the ground, while myiodactylines have wide, disc shaped bodies, and are arboreal, living on plants. The adults are thought to be predaceous and are primarily active at night, and are attracted to lights.

Fossil genera are known from Europe, Asia as well as North and South America, extending back to the Middle Jurassic.

Genera

Extant genera

*Subfamily Nymphinae Rambur 1842
**''Nymphes'' Leach, 1814
**'' Austronymphes'' Esben-Petersen, 1914
**'' Nesydrion'' Gerstaecker, 1885
*Subfamily Myiodactylinae Handlirsch 1908
**'' Myiodactylus'' Brauer, 1866
**'' Norfolius'' Navás, 1922
**'' Nymphydrion'' Banks, 1913
**'' Osmylops'' Banks, 1913
**'' Umbranymphes'' New, 1987

Extinct genera

* †'' Baissoleon'' Makarkin 1990 Yixian Formation, China, Zaza Formation, Russia, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)
* †'' Cretonymphes'' Ponomarenko 1992 Zaza Formation, Russia, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)
* †'' Dactylomyius'' Novokshonov 1990 Arkagalinskaya Formation, Russia, Late Cretaceous (Campanian) (possibly belongs to Myiodactylinae)
* †'' Daonymphes'' Makarkin et al. 2013 Daohugou Bed, China, Middle/Late Jurassic
* †'' Elenchonymphes'' Engel and Grimaldi 2008 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)
* †'' Liminympha'' Ren and Engel 2007 Daohugou Bed, China, Middle/Late Jurassic
* †'' Mesonymphes'' Carpenter 1929 Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Late Jurassic, Solnhofen Limestone, Germany, Late Jurassic (Tithonian)
* †"''Mesonymphes" apicalis'' Ponomarenko 1992 Zaza Formation, Russia, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)
* †'' Nymphavus'' Badano et al. 2018 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) (known from larvae only, possibly belongs to Nymphinae)
* †'' Nymphites'' Haase 1890 Daohugou Bed, China, Middle/Late Jurassic Solnhofen Limestone, Germany, Late Jurassic (Tithonian) Zaza Formation, Russia, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)
* †'' Olindanymphes'' Martins-Neto 2005 Crato Formation, Brazil, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)
* †'' Santananymphes'' Martins-Neto 2005 Crato Formation, Brazil, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)
* †'' Spilonymphes'' Shi et al. 2015 (split-footed lacewing) Yixian Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)
* Subfamily Nymphinae Rambur 1842
** †'' Epinesydrion'' Archibald and Makarkin 2020 Kamloops Group, Canada, Eocene (Ypresian)
** †''Nymphes? georgei'' Archibald et al. 2009 Klondike Mountain Formation, Washington, United States, Eocene (Ypresian) (possibly synonymous with ''Epinesydrion'')
** †'' Pronymphes'' Krüger 1923 Baltic amber, Eocene
** †'' Rafaelnymphes'' Myskowiak et al. 2016 Crato Formation, Brazil, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2080538

Taxa named by Jules Pierre Rambur
Neuroptera families