''Chrysoperla'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of common green lacewings in the
neuroptera
The insect order (biology), order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order consists of some 6,000 species. Neuroptera is grouped together with the Megaloptera (alderflies, f ...
n family
Chrysopidae.
[ Therein they belong to the Chrysopini, the largest ]tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
of subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...
Chrysopinae.[ Their larvae are ]predatory
Predation is a biological interaction in which 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 ...
and feed on aphid
Aphids are small sap-sucking insects in the Taxonomic rank, family Aphididae. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white Eriosomatinae, woolly ...
s, and members of this genus have been used in biological pest control
Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, whether pest animals such as insects and mites, weeds, or pathogens affecting animals or plants by using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or ot ...
.
Taxonomy and phylogeny
The genus ''Chrysoperla'' was first described by H. Steinmann in 1964 as a subgenus of '' Chrysopa'' as ''Chrysopa (Chrysoperla)''. His original diagnosis based on facial markings was found to be unreliable by B. Tjeder in 1966, who revised Steinmann's subgeneric classification based on details of male genitalia. In 1970, H. Hölzel revised these subgenera further and moved ''Chrysoperla'' to a subgenus of '' Atlantochrysa'' as ''Atlantochrysa (Chrysoperla)''. It wasn't until 1977 that ''Chrysoperla'' was elevated to a full genus by Y. Séméria, based on the combination of the absence of a gonapsis in males, lack of carrying a debris packet in larvae, and overwintering as an adult.[ This series of revisions further caused species to be moved between genera several times as the taxa, particularly ''Chrysopa'' and ''Chrysoperla'', were being redefined.][ The ]monophyly
In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria:
# the grouping contains its own most recent comm ...
of the genus was verified in the revision of Chrysopidae genera by Brooks and Barnard in 1990.
Description and identification
''Chrysoperla'' is one of several green lacewing genera with adults having a pale, yellowish stripe down the middle of the body. It is typically separated from other such genera by the short intramedian cell (im), which doesn't overlap the first crossvein from the radial sector. This genus, however, is defined predominantly based on male genitalia. ''Chrysoperla'' is one of six genera possessing an arcuate tignum and three genera to lack a gonapsis. It is distinguished from all other green lacewing genera by the presence of spinellae on the gonosaccus in the male genitalia.morphology
Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to:
Disciplines
*Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts
*Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...
, but can be readily separated based on the vibration signals used to attract mates.[ For example, the southern European '' C. mediterranea'' looks almost identical to its northern relative '' C. carnea'', but their courtship "songs" are very different; individuals of one species will not react to the other's vibrations.]
Distribution
This genus has a cosmopolitan distribution.[ Species in this genus are particularly common in both Europe and North America.]
Species
There are 67 described species of ''Chrysoperla''. New species of the genus are still being described, particularly since the genus contains at least one cryptic species complex
In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...
.
* '' Chrysoperla adamsi'' (Henry, Wells & Pupedis, 1993)
* '' Chrysoperla affinis'' Henry et al., 2003
* '' Chrysoperla agilis'' Henry, Brooks, Duelli & Johnson, 2003
* '' Chrysoperla ankylopteryformis'' Monserrat & Díaz Aranda, 1989
* '' Chrysoperla annae'' Brooks, 1994
* '' Chrysoperla argentina'' González & Reguilón, 2002
* '' Chrysoperla asoralis'' (Banks, 1915)
* '' Chrysoperla barberina'' (Navás, 1932)
* '' Chrysoperla bellatula'' X.-k. Yang & C.-k. Yang, 1992
* '' Chrysoperla bolti'' Henry et al., 2018
* '' Chrysoperla brevicollis'' (Rambur, 1842)
* '' Chrysoperla calocedrii'' Henry et al., 2012
* '' Chrysoperla carnea'' (Stephens, 1836)
* '' Chrysoperla chusanina'' (Navás, 1933)
* '' Chrysoperla comanche'' (Banks, 1938)
* '' Chrysoperla comans'' (Tjeder, 1966)
* '' Chrysoperla congrua'' (Walker, 1853)
* '' Chrysoperla decaryana'' (Navás, 1934)
* '' Chrysoperla defreitasi'' Brooks, 1994
* '' Chrysoperla deserticola'' Hölzel & Ohm, 2003
* '' Chrysoperla downesi'' (Smith, 1932)
* '' Chrysoperla dozieri'' (R. C. Smith, 1931)
* '' Chrysoperla duellii'' Henry, 2019
* '' Chrysoperla euneura'' X.-k. Yang & C.-k. Yang, 1992
* '' Chrysoperla europaea'' Canard & Thierry, 2020
Provisional taxa
There are at least 8 additional "song species" that have been identified within the ''Chrysoperla carnea'' group but have yet to be formally described.[
]
* ''Chrysoperla carnea-kyrgyzstan'' - Kyrgyzstan
* ''Chrysoperla downesi-1'' - eastern United States
* ''Chrysoperla downesi-china'' - China
* ''Chrysoperla downesi-kyrgyzstan'' - Kyrgyzstan
* ''Chrysoperla downesi-western'' - western United States
* ''Chrysoperla nipponensis-a2'' - Asia
* ''Chrysoperla nipponensis-b'' - Asia
Gallery
Green lacewing chrysopidae.jpg, ''Chrysoperla'' from Oxford, England
Chrysoperla larva feeding on aphid.webm, ''Chrysoperla'' larva feeding on aphid in Italy
Chrysopidae - Chrysoperla carnea group.jpg, ''Chrysoperla'' from France
Chrysopidae - Chrysoperla carnea group-1.jpg, ''Chrysoperla'' from France
2010 - 08 - Bastvales-3.jpg, ''Chrysoperla'' from Brión, Galicia, Spain
Голова златоглазки.jpg, ''Chrysoperla'' from Russia
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Chrysopidae
Insects used as insect pest control agents
Neuroptera genera
Neuroptera of the Americas
Neuroptera of Asia
Neuroptera of Europe
Neuroptera of Africa