The Diversity of Larvae with Multi-Toothed Stylets from About 100 Million Years Ago Illuminates the Early Diversification of Antlion-like Lacewings
Neuroptera, the group of lacewings, is well known to have been more diverse in the past, offering to study patterns of biodiversity loss over time. This loss of diversity has been quantitatively established by the morphological diversity of lacewing larvae. Here, we explore in more detail the divers...
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/12/1219 |
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| author | Florian Braig Timo Popp Ana Zippel Gideon T. Haug Simon Linhart Patrick Müller Thomas Weiterschan Joachim T. Haug Carolin Haug |
| author_facet | Florian Braig Timo Popp Ana Zippel Gideon T. Haug Simon Linhart Patrick Müller Thomas Weiterschan Joachim T. Haug Carolin Haug |
| author_sort | Florian Braig |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Neuroptera, the group of lacewings, is well known to have been more diverse in the past, offering to study patterns of biodiversity loss over time. This loss of diversity has been quantitatively established by the morphological diversity of lacewing larvae. Here, we explore in more detail the diversity of lacewing larvae with tooth-bearing mouthparts. All these larvae are representatives of Myrmeleontiformia, the group of antlion-like lacewings. Today, larvae of several major ingroups bear teeth on their mouthparts: (1) owllions (formerly Ascalaphidae and Myrmeleontidae; taxonomic status is currently unclear); (2) Nymphidae; (3) Crocinae (mostly in younger larvae); and (4) Nemopterinae (only micro teeth). In addition, there are several now extinct larval types with teeth known from Cretaceous ambers (about 100 million years old). These larvae also possess several plesiomorphic characters, indicating that they were part of the early diversification of Myrmeleontiformia. We report numerous new specimens of these now extinct forms and provide a quantitative morphological comparison of head and mouthpart shapes, demonstrating that some of these Cretaceous larvae possessed morphologies not represented in the extant fauna. The resulting pattern is complex, indicating that at least some extinct morphologies have been later replaced by modern-day antlions due to convergent evolution. |
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| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:50:33Z |
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| spelling | doaj.art-345c3d668a0f484f9972fc07a90bd3a42023-12-22T14:03:53ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182023-12-011512121910.3390/d15121219The Diversity of Larvae with Multi-Toothed Stylets from About 100 Million Years Ago Illuminates the Early Diversification of Antlion-like LacewingsFlorian Braig0Timo Popp1Ana Zippel2Gideon T. Haug3Simon Linhart4Patrick Müller5Thomas Weiterschan6Joachim T. Haug7Carolin Haug8Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, GermanyFaculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, GermanyFaculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, GermanyFaculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, GermanyFaculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, GermanyIndependent Researcher, 66482 Zweibrücken, GermanyIndependent Researcher, 64739 Höchst im Odenwald, GermanyFaculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, GermanyFaculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, GermanyNeuroptera, the group of lacewings, is well known to have been more diverse in the past, offering to study patterns of biodiversity loss over time. This loss of diversity has been quantitatively established by the morphological diversity of lacewing larvae. Here, we explore in more detail the diversity of lacewing larvae with tooth-bearing mouthparts. All these larvae are representatives of Myrmeleontiformia, the group of antlion-like lacewings. Today, larvae of several major ingroups bear teeth on their mouthparts: (1) owllions (formerly Ascalaphidae and Myrmeleontidae; taxonomic status is currently unclear); (2) Nymphidae; (3) Crocinae (mostly in younger larvae); and (4) Nemopterinae (only micro teeth). In addition, there are several now extinct larval types with teeth known from Cretaceous ambers (about 100 million years old). These larvae also possess several plesiomorphic characters, indicating that they were part of the early diversification of Myrmeleontiformia. We report numerous new specimens of these now extinct forms and provide a quantitative morphological comparison of head and mouthpart shapes, demonstrating that some of these Cretaceous larvae possessed morphologies not represented in the extant fauna. The resulting pattern is complex, indicating that at least some extinct morphologies have been later replaced by modern-day antlions due to convergent evolution.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/12/1219MyrmeleontiformiaCretaceousKachin amberBurmese amberMyanmar |
| spellingShingle | Florian Braig Timo Popp Ana Zippel Gideon T. Haug Simon Linhart Patrick Müller Thomas Weiterschan Joachim T. Haug Carolin Haug The Diversity of Larvae with Multi-Toothed Stylets from About 100 Million Years Ago Illuminates the Early Diversification of Antlion-like Lacewings Diversity Myrmeleontiformia Cretaceous Kachin amber Burmese amber Myanmar |
| title | The Diversity of Larvae with Multi-Toothed Stylets from About 100 Million Years Ago Illuminates the Early Diversification of Antlion-like Lacewings |
| title_full | The Diversity of Larvae with Multi-Toothed Stylets from About 100 Million Years Ago Illuminates the Early Diversification of Antlion-like Lacewings |
| title_fullStr | The Diversity of Larvae with Multi-Toothed Stylets from About 100 Million Years Ago Illuminates the Early Diversification of Antlion-like Lacewings |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Diversity of Larvae with Multi-Toothed Stylets from About 100 Million Years Ago Illuminates the Early Diversification of Antlion-like Lacewings |
| title_short | The Diversity of Larvae with Multi-Toothed Stylets from About 100 Million Years Ago Illuminates the Early Diversification of Antlion-like Lacewings |
| title_sort | diversity of larvae with multi toothed stylets from about 100 million years ago illuminates the early diversification of antlion like lacewings |
| topic | Myrmeleontiformia Cretaceous Kachin amber Burmese amber Myanmar |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/12/1219 |
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