The Choristidae are a small (only eight species in three genera) 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 ...
known only from
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. Their
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.
The ...
e are found in
moss
Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...
mats.
Species
:This list is adapted from the ''World Checklist of extant Mecoptera species
Choristidae' and is complete as of 1997.
* ''
Chorista''
Klug, 1838
** ''
Chorista australis''
Klug, 1838
** ''
Chorista luteola''
(Westwood, 1846)
* ''
Meridiochorista''
Lambkin, 1996
** ''
Meridiochorista insolita''
(Riek, 1973)
** ''
Meridiochorista ruficeps''
(Newman, 1850)
* ''
Taeniochorista''
Esben-Petersen, 1914
** ''
Taeniochorista bifurcata''
Riek, 1973
** ''
Taeniochorista nigrita''
Riek, 1973
** ''
Taeniochorista pallida''
Esben-Petersen, 1914
** ''
Taeniochorista similis''
Riek, 1973
Mecoptera
Insect families
Insects of Australia
{{Mecoptera-stub