Bittacidae is a family of

scorpionflies Mecoptera (from the Greek language, Greek: ''mecos'' = "long", ''ptera'' = "wings") is an Order (biology), order of insects in the superorder Endopterygota with about six hundred species in nine Family (biology), families worldwide. Mecopterans ...

commonly called hangingflies or hanging scorpionflies. The genus ''Bittacus'', comprising approximately 75% of all species within the family, occurs worldwide. Other genera are mostly confined to South America or Australia. Members of this family may be confused with

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 ...

, in the order

Diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

, but can be distinguished by their two pairs of wings and lack of

haltere ''Halteres'' (; singular ''halter'' or ''haltere'') (from grc, ἁλτῆρες, weights held in the hands to give an impetus in leaping) are a pair of small club-shaped organs on the body of two orders of flying insects that provide infor ...

s. They are distinguished in the fact that during mating the male captures a prey insect and offers it to the female as a

nuptial gift A nuptial gift is a nutritional gift given by one partner in some animals' sexual reproduction practices. Formally, a nuptial gift is a material presentation to a recipient by a donor during or in relation to sexual intercourse that is not simpl ...

. The larger the prey item is, the more receptive the female will be to mating.

Genera

This list is based on ''The World Checklist of extant Mecoptera Species''. Presumably complete up to 1997, it is updated as needed. The number of species in each genus are in parentheses. A number of extinct(†) genera have been described from the fossil record. * '' Anabittacus'' (1) Kimmins, 1929 (Chile) * '' Anomalobittacus'' (1) Kimmins, 1928 (South Africa) * ''

Apterobittacus ''Apterobittacus'' is a genus of hangingflies Bittacidae is a family of scorpionflies commonly called hangingflies or hanging scorpionflies. The genus ''Bittacus'', comprising approximately 75% of all species within the family, occurs world ...

'' (1) MacLachlan, 1893 (

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

) * '' Austrobittacus'' (1) Riek, 1954 (Australia) * ''

Bittacus ''Bittacus'' is a genus of hangingflies in the order Mecoptera. Members of the genus have a cosmopolitan distribution. The genus has existed since at least the earliest Late Cretaceous. ''Bittacus'' is considered "grossly paraphyletic" and serves ...

'' (124) Latreille, 1805 (worldwide) * '' Edriobittacus'' (1) Byers, 1974 (Australia) * '' Harpobittacus'' (12) Gerstaecker, 1885 (Australia) * '' Hylobittacus'' (1) Byers, 1979 (United States, Mexico + fossil species from the

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' ...

Bitterfield and

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 ...

of Europe) * '' Issikiella'' (5) Byers, 1972 (South America) * '' Kalobittacus'' (8) Esben-Petersen, 1914 (Central America) * '' Nannobittacus'' (4) Esben-Petersen, 1927 (Brazil to Panama) * '' Neobittacus'' (2) Esben-Petersen, 1914 (Brazil) * '' Orobittacus'' Villegas & Byers, 1982 (California) * '' Pazius'' (8) Navás, 1913 (Brazil to Panama) * '' Symbittacus'' Byers, 1986 (Australia) * '' Tytthobittacus'' Smithers, 1973 (Australia + fossil species from the Early Cretaceous (

Berriasian In the geological timescale, the Berriasian is an age/stage of the Early/Lower Cretaceous. It is the oldest subdivision in the entire Cretaceous. It has been taken to span the time between 145.0 ± 4.0 Ma and 139.8 ± 3.0 Ma (million years ago) ...

) aged

Purbeck Group The Purbeck Group is an Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous lithostratigraphic group (a sequence of rock strata) in south-east England. The name is derived from the district known as the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset where the strata are exposed in the ...

) Extinct genera * †'' Antiquanabittacus'' (1) Petrulevicius and Jarzembowski 2004

Weald Clay Weald Clay or the Weald Clay Formation is a Lower Cretaceous sedimentary rock unit underlying areas of South East England, between the North and South Downs, in an area called the Weald Basin. It is the uppermost unit of the Wealden Group of ro ...

, United Kingdom, Early Cretaceous (

Barremian The Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale (or a chronostratigraphic stage) between 129.4 ± 1.5 Ma (million years ago) and 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma). It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous Epoch (or Lower Cretaceous Series). It is preceded ...

) * †'' Archebittacus'' (1) Riek, 1955 ( Mount Crosby Formation, Australia,

Late Triassic The Late Triassic is the third and final epoch (geology), epoch of the Triassic geologic time scale, Period in the geologic time scale, spanning the time between annum, Ma and Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by the Middle Triassic Epoch ...

(Norian) * †'' Asiobittacus'' (1) Novokshonov 1993 Sagul Formation, Kyrgyzstan, Early Jurassic (

Toarcian The Toarcian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, an age and stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic. It spans the time between 182.7 Ma (million years ago) and 174.1 Ma. It follows the Pliensbachian and is followed by the Aalenian. The Toarcian ...

) * †'' Baissobittacus'' (1) Novokshonov 1997

Zaza Formation The Zaza Formation is a geological formation located in Buryatia (Russia). It dates to the Lower Cretaceous period. It is Aptian in age and consists of Sandstone, sandstones, Siltstone, siltstones, Marl, marls and bituminous Shale, shales, deposi ...

, Russia, Early Cretaceous (

Aptian The Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower Cretaceous Epoch or Series and encompasses the time from 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma to 113.0 ± 1.0 Ma (million years ago), a ...

) * †'' Burmobittacus'' (1) Zhao et al. 2016

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, mid Cretaceous (

Albian The Albian is both an age of the geologic timescale and a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early/Lower Cretaceous Epoch/Series. Its approximate time range is 113.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 100.5 ± 0.9 M ...

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 ...

) * †'' Composibittacus'' (2) Liu et al. 2016

Daohugou The Haifanggou Formation (), also known as the Jiulongshan Formation (), is a fossil-bearing rock deposit located near Daohugou () village of Ningcheng County, in Inner Mongolia, northeastern China. The formation consists of coarse conglomerates ...

, China, Middle Jurassic (

Callovian In the geologic timescale, the Callovian is an age and stage in the Middle Jurassic, lasting between 166.1 ± 4.0 Ma (million years ago) and 163.5 ± 4.0 Ma. It is the last stage of the Middle Jurassic, following the Bathonian and preceding the ...

) * †'' Cretobittacus'' (1) Novokshonov 1993 Zaza Formation, Russia, Aptian * †'' Decoribittacus'' (2) Li and Ren 2009 Daohugou, China, Callovian * †'' Exilibittacus'' (3) Yang et al. 2012 Daohugou, China, Callovian * †'' Formosibittacus'' (1) Li, Ren & Shih, 2008 Daohugou, China, Callovian * †'' Haplobittacus'' (1) Bode 1953

Posidonia Shale The Posidonia Shale (german: Posidonienschiefer, also called Schistes Bitumineux in Luxembourg) geologically known as the Sachrang Formation, is an Early Jurassic (Toarcian) geological formation of southwestern and northeast Germany, northern Swit ...

, Germany, Toarcian) * †'' Jurahylobittacus'' (1) Li, Ren & Shih, 2008 Daohugou, China, Callovian * †'' Karattacus'' (2) Novokshonov 1997 Daohugou, China, Callovian

Karabastau Formation The Karabastau Formation ( kk, Qarabastaý svıtasy) is a geological formation and lagerstätte in the Karatau Mountains of southern Kazakhstan whose strata date to the Middle to Late Jurassic. It is an important locality for insect fossils that ...

, Kazakhstan, Late Jurassic * †'' Liaobittacus'' (1) Ren 1993

Haifanggou Formation The Haifanggou Formation (), also known as the Jiulongshan Formation (), is a fossil-bearing rock deposit located near Daohugou () village of Ningcheng County, in Inner Mongolia, northeastern China. The formation consists of coarse conglomerates ...

, China, Callovian * †'' Mesobittacus'' (4) Handlirsch 1939

, " Green Series", Germany, Toarcian,

Itat Formation The Itat Formation (Russian: итатская свита) is a geologic formation in western Siberia. It was deposited in the Bajocian to Bathonian ages of the Middle Jurassic. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from t ...

, Russia, Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) * †'' Mongolbittacus'' (3) Petrulevicius, Huang & Ren, 2007 Daohugou, China, Callovian * †'' Neorthophlebia'' (12) Handlirsch 1906 Dzhil Formation, Kyrgyzstan, Early Jurassic (

Hettangian The Hettangian is the earliest age and lowest stage of the Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (My ...

Sinemurian In the geologic timescale, the Sinemurian is an age and stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic Epoch or Series. It spans the time between 199.3 ± 2 Ma and 190.8 ± 1.5 Ma (million years ago). The Sinemurian is preceded by the Hettangian and is ...

) Posidonia Shale, "Green Series", Germany, Sulyukta Formation, Kyrgyzstan, Toarcian, Tugnuy Formation, Russia, Upper Jurassic, Tuodian Formation, China, Late Jurassic ( Oxfordian) * †'' Orobittacus'' (2) Villegas and Byers 1981 Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Late Jurassic, Sharteg, Mongolia, Late Jurassic (

Tithonian In the geological timescale, the Tithonian is the latest age of the Late Jurassic Epoch and the uppermost stage of the Upper Jurassic Series. It spans the time between 152.1 ± 4 Ma and 145.0 ± 4 Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by the K ...

) * †'' Orthobittacus'' (4) Willmann 1989 Kyzyl-Kiya, Kyrgyzstan, Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian), Daohugou, China, Callovian, Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Late Jurassic * †'' Palaeobittacus'' (1) Carpenter 1928

Green River Formation The Green River Formation is an Eocene geologic formation that records the sedimentation in a group of intermountain lakes in three basins along the present-day Green River in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. The sediments are deposited in very fine ...

, Colorado,

* †'' Parabittacus'' (2) Handlirsch 1939 Posidonia Shale, "Green Series", Germany, Toarcian * †'' Pleobittacus'' (1) Bode 1953 Posidonia Shale, Germany, Toarcian * †'' Plesiobittacus'' (1) Novokshonov 1997 Sagul Formation, Kyrgyzstan, Toarcian * †'' Preanabittacus'' (2) Novokshonov 1993 Daohugou, China, Callovian Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Late Jurassic * †'' Probittacus'' (1) Martynov 1927 Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Late Jurassic * †'' Prohylobittacus'' (1) Novokshonov 1993 Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Late Jurassic * †'' Scharabittacus'' (3) Novokshonov 1993 Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Late Jurassic Sharteg, Mongolia, Tithonian * †'' Sibirobittacus'' (3) Sukacheva 1990 Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Late Jurassic

Glushkovo Formation Glushkovo (russian: Глушково) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities *Glushkovo, Glushkovsky District, Kursk Oblast, a work settlement in Glushkovsky District of Kursk Oblast ;Rural localities * Glushko ...

, Russia, Tithonian,

Yixian Formation The Yixian Formation (; formerly transcribed as Yihsien Formation) is a geological formation in Jinzhou, Liaoning, People's Republic of China, that spans the late Barremian and early Aptian stages of the Early Cretaceous. It is known for its ex ...

, China, Aptian

References

Mecoptera Taxa named by Anton Handlirsch {{Mecoptera-stub