Ascalaphini is the type subfamily of the neuropteran

owlfly Ascalaphidae is a family of insects in the order Neuroptera, commonly called owlflies; there are some 450 extant species. They are fast-flying crepuscular or diurnal predators of other flying insects, and have large bulging eyes and strongly kn ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

. Most species are found in the

tropics The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referr ...

. Their characteristic

apomorph In phylogenetics, an apomorphy (or derived trait) is a novel character or character state that has evolved from its ancestral form (or plesiomorphy). A synapomorphy is an apomorphy shared by two or more taxa and is therefore hypothesized to have ...

y , shared with the Ululodini, is the ridge which divides each of their large

compound eye A compound eye is a visual organ found in arthropods such as insects and crustaceans. It may consist of thousands of ommatidia, which are tiny independent photoreception units that consist of a cornea, lens, and photoreceptor cells which disti ...

s; both groups are thus sometimes known as split-eyed owlflies. The group has been alternatly treated as a subfamily of

Ascalaphidae Ascalaphidae is a family of insects in the order Neuroptera, commonly called owlflies; there are some 450 extant species. They are fast-flying crepuscular or diurnal predators of other flying insects, and have large bulging eyes and strongly ...

, when the family is treated separate from Myrmelontidae, or as a tribe, when the ascalaphids are treated as a subfamily in an expanded Myrmelontidae. Like the other owlflies, they are insectivores. Imagines are cumbersome fliers and lack the strong mouthparts of

dragonflies A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threa ...

(which owlflies resemble at first glance, despite being not at all closely related insects) or other decidedly

predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

y insects, they are restricted to small and defenseless prey. The

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e on the other hand resemble antlions in appearance and habits and are voracious

ambush predator Ambush predators or sit-and-wait predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey via stealth, luring or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an element of surprise. Unlike pursuit predators, who chase to capture prey ...

s, able to tackle prey like

ant Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of ...

s 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 A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

record of the Ascalaphinae dates to the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

, and the subfamily thus probably

evolved Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

in the latter half or towards the end of the Paleogene.See references in Haaramo (2008)

Genera

There are 70 described genera in the subfamily Ascalaphinae. Owlfly Ascalaphidae by kadavoor

* '' Abascalaphus'' Tjeder & Hansson, 1992 * '' Acheron (insect)'' Lefèbvre 1842 * '' Acmonotus'' McLachlan, 1871 * '' Agadirius'' Badano & Pantaleoni, 2012 * '' Agrionosoma'' van der Weele, 1909 * '' Angolania'' Koçak & Kemal, 2008 * '' Angustacsa'' New, 1984 * '' Ascalaphodes'' McLachlan, 1871 * ''

Ascalaphus The name Ascalaphus (; Ancient Greek: Ἀσκάλαφος ''Askalaphos'') is shared by two people in Greek mythology: * Ascalaphus, son of Acheron and Orphne. * Ascalaphus, son of Ares and Astyoche.Homer, ''Iliad'' 13.518 Notes Refere ...

'' Fabricius, 1775 * '' Ascalohybris'' Sziráki, 1998 * '' Ascapseudoptynx'' Abrahám & Mészáros, 2006 * '' Aspoeckiella'' Hölzel 2004 * '' Botjederinus'' Abrahám, 2011 * '' Brevibarbis'' Tjeder & Hansson, 1992 * '' Bubomyiella'' Tjeder & Hansson, 1992 * '' Bubopsis'' McLachlan 1898 * '' Cirrops'' Tjeder 1980 * '' Deleproctophylla'' Lefèbvrem 1842 * '' Dentalacsa'' New, 1984 * '' Dicolpus'' Gerstaecker, 1885 * '' Disparomitus'' van der Weele, 1909 * '' Dixonotus'' Kimmins, 1950 * '' Dorsomitus'' Michel & Tjeder, 2018 * '' Encyoposis'' McLachlan 1871 * '' Encyopsidius'' Navás 1912 * '' Eremoides'' Tjeder 1992 * '' Farakosius'' Michel 1998 * '' Fillus'' Navás 1919 * '' Forcepacsa'' New 1984 * '' Glyptobasis'' McLachlan 1871 * '' Helcopteryx'' McLachlan 1871 * '' Horischema'' Mészáros & Abrahám, 2003 * '' Kimulodes'' Tjeder & Hansson 1992 * '' Libelloides'' Schäffer 1763 * '' Lobalacsa'' New 1984 * '' Mabiza'' Tjeder & Hansson 1992 * '' Maezous'' Ábrahám 2008 * '' Mansellacsa'' Hölzel 2004 * '' Megacmonotus'' New 1984 * '' Nagacta'' Navás 1914 * '' Nanomitus'' Navás 1912 * '' Nephelasca'' Navás 1914 * '' Nephoneura'' McLachlan 1871 * '' Nousera'' Navás 1923 * '' Ogcogaster'' Westwood 1847 * '' Parascalaphus'' Martynova 1926 * '' Parasuphalomitus'' New 1984 * '' Perissoschema'' Mészáros & Abrahám 2003 * '' Phalascusa'' Kolbe 1897 * '' Pictacsa'' New 1984 * '' Pilacmonotus'' New 1984 * '' Proctarrelabis'' Lefèbvre 1842 * '' Protacheron'' Weele 1909 * '' Protidricerus'' Weele 1909 * '' Protobubopsis'' van der Weele 1909 * '' Pseudencyoposis'' van der Weele, 1909 * '' Pseudodisparomitus'' New 1984 * '' Pseudohybris'' van der Weele 1909 * '' Pseudoproctarrelabris'' van der Weele 1909 * '' Puer (insect)'' Lefèbvre 1842 * '' Siphlocerus'' McLachlan 1871 * '' Stephanolasca'' van der Weele 1909 * '' Strixomyia'' Tjeder 1989 * '' Stylascalaphus'' Sziráki 1998 * '' Suhpalacsa'' Lefèbvre, 1842 * '' Suphalomitus'' van der Weele 1909 * '' Tytomyia'' Tjeder & Hansson 1992 * '' Ululomyia'' Tjeder 1992 * '' Umbracsa'' New 1984 * '' Venacsa'' New 1984

References

External links

* * Myrmeleontidae Insect tribes {{Neuroptera-stub