''Bittacus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of hangingflies in the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Mecoptera Mecoptera (from the Greek: ''mecos'' = "long", ''ptera'' = "wings") is an order of insects in the superorder Endopterygota with about six hundred species in nine families worldwide. Mecopterans are sometimes called scorpionflies after their lar ...

. Members of the genus have a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...

. The genus has existed since at least the earliest Late Cretaceous. ''Bittacus'' is considered "grossly

paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...

" and serves as a catch-all for many distantly related species of hangingflies.

Characteristics

Members of this genus have long legs, the front pair of which are modified for grasping and are used to hang from vegetation. The other two pairs have tarsal claws and are modified for catching

prey 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 the ...

. There are two pairs of equal sized, membranous

wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...

with dark mottling. The mouthparts are modified for chewing. The insects superficially resemble

crane flies Crane fly is a common name referring to any member of the insect family Tipulidae. Cylindrotominae, Limoniinae, and Pediciinae have been ranked as subfamilies of Tipulidae by most authors, though occasionally elevated to family rank. In the most ...

Species

The following species are listed in the ''World Checklist of Extant Mecoptera Species'': *'' Bittacus aequalis'' Navás, 1914 – Kenya *'' Bittacus africanus'' Esben-Petersen, 1915 – Zaire *'' Bittacus alluaudi'' Navás, 1914 – Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia *'' Bittacus andinus'' Londt and Byers, 1974 – Bolivia, Peru *'' Bittacus angrensis'' Souza Lopes and Mangabeira, 1942 – Brazil *'' Bittacus annae'' Londt, 1972 – South Africa *'' Bittacus appendiculatus'' Esben-Petersen, 1927 – China (Yunnan) *'' Bittacus armatus'' Tjeder, 1956 – Zimbabwe, South Africa *'' Bittacus banksi'' Esben-Petersen, 1915 – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama *'' Bittacus berlandi'' Capra, 1939 – Tanzania, Kenya *'' Bittacus bicornis'' Londt, 1993 – South Africa *'' Bittacus boraceiensis'' -Morgante, 1967 – Brazil (São Paulo) *'' Bittacus boranicus'' Capra, 1939 – Ethiopia *'' Bittacus brasiliensis'' Klug, 1838 – Argentina, Brazil *'' Bittacus brunneus'' Esben-Petersen, 1927 – Paraguay *'' Bittacus bullatus'' Londt, 1972 – South Africa *'' Bittacus burgeoni'' Navás, 1930 – Zaire *'' Bittacus burmanus'' Tjeder, 1974 – Burma *'' Bittacus byersi'' Londt, 1972 – South Africa *'' Bittacus capensis'' (Thunberg), 1784 – South Africa *'' Bittacus caprai'' Londt, 1972 – Zambia, Zimbabwe *'' Bittacus carpenteri'' Cheng, 1957 – China (Szechwan) *'' Bittacus chevalieri'' (Navás), 1908 – Chad, Mali, Senegal, French Somaliland *'' Bittacus chilensis'' Klug, 1838 – Chile *'' Bittacus chlorostigma'' MacLachlan, 1881 – United States (California, Oregon) *'' Bittacus chujoi'' Issiki and Cheng, 1947 – Taiwan *'' Bittacus cirratus'' Tjeder, 1956 – China (Manchuria, Kiangsi) *'' Bittacus contumax'' Tjeder, 1956 – China *'' Bittacus coreanus'' Issiki, 1929 – China (Kiangsu), Korea *'' Bittacus cottrelli'' Londt, 1972 – South Africa *'' Bittacus discors'' Navás, 1914 – Kenya, Somalia *'' Bittacus disternum'' Byers, 1996 – Costa Rica *'' Bittacus diversinervis'' Souza Lopes and Mangabeira, 1942 – Brazil *'' Bittacus elisabethae'' Navás, 1930 – Zaire *'' Bittacus eremus'' Lambkin, 1988 – Australia *'' Bittacus erythrostigma'' Byers, 1975 – Uganda, Zaire *'' Bittacus femoralis'' Klug, 1838 – Brazil *'' Bittacus flavescens'' Klug, 1838 – Brazil, Venezuela *'' Bittacus formosanus'' Issiki, 1927 – Taiwan *'' Bittacus fritzi'' Williner, 1990 – Argentina *'' Bittacus fumosus'' Esben-Petersen, 1913 – Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Zambia *'' Bittacus geniculatus'' Erichson, 1848 – Brazil, Guyana *'' Bittacus golbachi'' Williner, 1990 – Argentina *'' Bittacus gressitti'' Cheng, 1957 – China (Kwangtung) *'' Bittacus hageni'' Brauer, 1860 – Austria, Belgium, France *'' Bittacus henryi'' Kimmins, 1928 – Sri Lanka *'' Bittacus homburgerae'' Navás, 1933 – French Guinea *'' Bittacus indicus'' Walker 1853 – India *'' Bittacus insularis'' Esben-Petersen 1915 – Sri Lanka *'' Bittacus issikii'' Miyamoto 1979 – Japan *'' Bittacus italicus'' (Müller) 1766 -Belgium, Bosnia, Germany, Poland, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine *'' Bittacus kagoshimaensis'' Issiki 1929 -Japan *'' Bittacus kimminsi'' Tjeder 1956 – South Africa *'' Bittacus kunenensis'' Wood 1933 – Namibia *'' Bittacus laevipes'' Navás 1909 – Japan *'' Bittacus latipennis'' Gerstaecker 1885 – India *'' Bittacus leptocaudus'' Byers 1965 – Thailand *'' Bittacus leptocercus'' Navás 1934 – Tanzania *'' Bittacus lineatus'' Navás 1914 – Kenya *'' Bittacus livingstonei'' Londt 1981 – Malawi *'' Bittacus maculatus'' Issiki 1927 – Taiwan *'' Bittacus maculosus'' Byers 1965 – Brazil, Trinidad *'' Bittacus malaisei'' Tjeder 1974 – Burma *'' Bittacus marginatus'' Miyake 1913 – Japan *'' Bittacus mastrillii'' Navás 1913 – Japan *'' Bittacus mexicanus'' Klug 1838 – Mexico (Oaxaca, San Luis Potosí) *'' Bittacus milleri'' Londt 1978 – South Africa *'' Bittacus montanus'' Weele 1910 – Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia *'' Bittacus moschinus'' Navás 1914 – Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia *'' Bittacus natalensis'' Wood 1933 – Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa *'' Bittacus nebulosus'' Klug 1838 – Mozambique, South Africa *'' Bittacus nipponicus'' Navás 1909 – Japan *'' Bittacus nodosus'' Rust and Byers 1976 – India, Pakistan *'' Bittacus occidentis'' Walker 1853 – United States *'' Bittacus omega'' Morgante 1967 – Brazil *'' Bittacus oreinus'' Navás 1914 – Ethiopia *'' Bittacus panamensis'' Byers 1958 – Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela *'' Bittacus peninsularis'' Byers 1996 – Mexico (Baja California Sur) *'' Bittacus peringueyi'' Esben-Petersen 1913 – South Africa *'' Bittacus peterseni'' Kimmins 1938 – South Africa *'' Bittacus pieli'' Navás 1935 – China (Kiangsi) *'' Bittacus pignatellii'' Navás 1932 – Panama *'' Bittacus pilicornis'' Westwood 1846 – Canada, United States *'' Bittacus pinguipalpi'' Wood 1933 – Namibia *'' Bittacus pintoi'' Souza Lopes and Mangabeira 1942 – Brazil *'' Bittacus planus'' Cheng 1949 – China (Shensi) *'' Bittacus pobeguini'' (Navás) 1908 – Zaire, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Uganda *'' Bittacus pollex'' Byers and Roggero 1992 – Panama *'' Bittacus punctiger'' Westwood 1846 – United States *'' Bittacus rossi'' Londt 1977 – Zaire *'' Bittacus saigusai'' Miyamoto 1984 – Japan *'' Bittacus schoutedeni'' Esben-Petersen 1913 – Zaire *'' Bittacus selysi'' Esben-Petersen 1917 – South Africa *'' Bittacus sinensis'' Walker 1853 – China (Chekiang, Kiangsu), Korea, Japan *'' Bittacus sinicus'' Issiki 1931 – China (Szechwan) *'' Bittacus sjostedti'' Weele 1910 – Kenya, Tanzania *'' Bittacus smithersi'' Londt 1972 – South Africa *'' Bittacus sobrinus'' Tjeder 1956 – South Africa *'' Bittacus sonani'' Issiki 1929 – Taiwan *'' Bittacus spatulatus'' Byers 1996 – Costa Rica, Nicaragua *'' Bittacus stanleyi'' Byers 1968 – Zaire, Malawi *'' Bittacus stigmaterus'' Say 1823 – United States *'' Bittacus striatus'' Issiki 1927 – Taiwan *'' Bittacus strigosus'' Hagen 1861 – United States *'' Bittacus sylvaticus'' Byers 1996 – Mexico *'' Bittacus takaoensis'' Miyake 1913 – Japan *'' Bittacus taraiensis'' Penny 1969 – India *'' Bittacus tarsalis'' Miyamoto 1984 – Japan *'' Bittacus testaceus'' Klug 1838 – Zimbabwe, South Africa *'' Bittacus texanus'' Banks 1908 – United States (Kansas, New Mexico, Texas) *'' Bittacus tienmushana'' Cheng 1957 – China (Chekiang) *'' Bittacus tjederi'' Londt 1970 – South Africa *'' Bittacus triangularis'' Issiki 1929 – Korea, Manchuria *'' Bittacus tuxeni'' Byers 1975 – Guinea, Malawi *'' Bittacus ussuriensis'' Plutenko 1985 – Far Eastern Russia *'' Bittacus vexilliferus'' Byers 1970 – China (Szechwan) *'' Bittacus vumbanus'' Smithers 1960 – Zimbabwe *'' Bittacus wahlbergi'' Londt 1972 – South Africa *'' Bittacus walkeri'' Esben-Petersen 1915 – South Africa *'' Bittacus weelei'' Esben-Petersen 1913 – Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia *'' Bittacus zambezinus'' Navás 1931 – Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa *'' Bittacus zelichi'' Williner 1990 – Argentina *'' Bittacus zulu'' Londt 1972 – South Africa

Extinct species

* †'' Bittacus lepiduscretaceus'' Li et al. 2018

Burmese amber Burmese amber, also known as Burmite or Kachin amber, is amber from the Hukawng Valley in northern Myanmar. The amber is dated to around 100 million years ago, during the latest Albian to earliest Cenomanian ages of the mid-Cretaceous period. The ...

, Myanmar,

Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the ICS' geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age of the Late Cretaceous Epoch or the lowest stage of the Upper Cretaceous Series. An age is a unit of geochronology; it is a unit of time; the stage is a unit in the s ...

* †'' Bittacus succinus'' Carpenter 1954

Baltic amber The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of amber, called Baltic amber or succinite. It was produced sometime during the Eocene epoch, but exactly when is controversial. It has been estimated that these forests created more than 1 ...

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q301470 Hangingflies Insects described in 1805