Family BEROTHIDAE

Museums

Regional Maps

Introduction

The Berothidae are structurally diverse, but all Australian taxa are referable to the Berothinae, one of four subfamilies in this group (U. Aspöck 1986). Many species are restricted to the northern or dryer parts of Australia, and most genera are endemic. The narrow-winged Stenobiella Tillyard, 1916 and broader-winged Spermophorella Tillyard, 1916 represent contrasting appearances in the family.

Fragmentary biological information is available for Spermophorella (Tillyard 1916) species of which lay stalked eggs in batches and have subcortical larvae. Nothing is known of larval feeding habits, but larvae of a North American species of Lomamyia Banks, 1904, feed on termites, which they subdue chemically.

Recent studies on Australian Berothidae by U. & H. Aspöck, cited below in context, have transformed knowledge of our fauna.

General References

Aspöck, U. 1986. The present state of knowledge of the family Berothidae (Neuropteroidea: Planipennia). pp. 87-101 in Gepp, J., Aspöck, H. & Hölzel, H. (eds). Recent Advances in Neuropterology. Graz : Published privately.

Aspöck, U. & Randolf, S. 2014. Beaded lacewings — a pictorial identification key to the genera, their biogeographics and a phylogentic analysis (Insecta: Neuroptera: Berothidae). Entomologische Zeitschrift 61(2): 155–172

Tillyard, R.J. 1916. Studies in Australian Neuroptera. No. iv. The families Ithonidae, Hemerobiidae, Sisyridae, Berothidae, and the new family Trichomatidae; with a discussion of their characters and relationships, and descriptions of new and little-known genera and species. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 41: 269-332

History of changes