Hangingfly

Bittacidae is a family of scorpionflies commonly called hangingflies or hanging scorpionflies.

Hangingfly
Temporal range: Early Triassic–Recent
Hylobittacus apicalis, Michigan, USA
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Mecoptera
Infraorder: Raptipeda
Family: Bittacidae
Handlirsch, 1906
Genera

See text

Diversity
16 genera, ca. 170 species

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, in the order Diptera, but can be distinguished by their two pairs of wings and lack of halteres.

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. The larger the prey item is, the more receptive the female will be to mating.[1]

Genera

This list is based on The World Checklist of extant Mecoptera Species.[2] 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 (1) MacLachlan, 1893 (Southern USA)
  • Austrobittacus (1) Riek, 1954 (Australia)
  • Bittacus (124) Latreille, 1805 (worldwide)
  • Edriobittacus (1) Byers, 1974 (Australia)
  • Harpobittacus (12) Gerstaecker, 1885 (Australia)
  • Hylobittacus (1) Byers, 1979 (USA, Mexico + fossil species from the Eocene Bitterfield and Baltic amber 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 Berriasian aged Purbeck Group)

Extinct genera

  • †Antiquanabittacus (1) Petrulevicius and Jarzembowski 2004 Weald Clay, United Kingdom, Barremian
  • †Archebittacus (1) Riek, 1955 (Mount Crosby Formation, Late Triassic Norian, Australia)[3]
  • †Asiobittacus (1) Novokshonov 1993 Sagul Formation, Kyrgyzstan, Toarcian
  • †Baissobittacus (1) Novokshonov 1997 Zaza Formation, Russia, Aptian
  • †Burmobittacus (1) Zhao et al. 2016 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian
  • †Composibittacus (2) Liu et al. 2016 Daohugou, China, Callovian
  • †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[4]
  • †Haplobittacus (1) Bode 1953 Posidonia Shale, Germany, Toarcian
  • †Jurahylobittacus (1) Li, Ren & Shih, 2008 Daohugou, China, Callovian[4]
  • †Karattacus (2) Novokshonov 1997 Daohugou, China, Callovian Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Callovian
  • †Liaobittacus (1) Ren 1993 Haifanggou Formation, China, Callovian
  • †Mesobittacus (4) Handlirsch 1939 Posidonia Shale, "Green Series", Germany, Toarcian, Itat Formation, Russia, Bajocian
  • †Mongolbittacus (3) Petrulevicius, Huang & Ren, 2007 Daohugou, China, Callovian[5]
  • †Neorthophlebia (12) Handlirsch 1906 Tuodian Formation, China, Oxfordian, Posidonia Shale, "Green Series", Germany, Toarcian Dzhil Formation, Kyrgyzstan, Hettangian-Sinemurian, Sulyukta Formation, Kyrgyzstan, Toarcian, Tugnuy Formation, Russia, Upper Jurassic
  • †Orobittacus (2) Villegas and Byers 1981 Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Callovian, Sharteg, Mongolia, Tithonian
  • †Orthobittacus (4) Willmann 1989 Kyzyl-Kiya, Kyrgyzstan, Pliensbachian, Daohugou, China, Callovian, Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Callovian
  • †Palaeobittacus (1) Carpenter 1928 Green River Formation, Colorado, Eocene
  • †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, Callovian
  • †Probittacus (1) Martynov 1927 Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Callovian
  • †Prohylobittacus (1) Novokshonov 1993 Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Callovian
  • †Scharabittacus (3) Novokshonov 1993 Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Callovian Sharteg, Mongolia, Tithonian
  • †Sibirobittacus (3) Sukacheva 1990 Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Callovian Glushkovo Formation, Russia, Tithonian, Yixian Formation, China, Aptian

References
  1. Gao, Qionghua; Hua, Baozhen (3 December 2013). "Co-Evolution of the Mating Position and Male Genitalia in Insects: A Case Study of a Hangingfly". PLOS ONE. 8 (12): e80651. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080651. PMC 3849121. PMID 24312490.
  2. "World Checklist of extant Mecoptera Species – Bittacidae (Hanging-flies)". California Academy of Sciences, Department of Entomology. 31 October 1997. Archived from the original on 2005-04-08.
  3. Kevin J. Lambkin (2017). "Archebittacus exilis Riek—the oldest hangingfly (Insecta: Mecoptera: Bittacidae)". Zootaxa. 4290 (2): 385–389. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4290.2.10.
  4. Li, Y-L.; Ren, D.; Shih, C-K (2008). "Two Middle Jurassic hanging-flies (Insecta: Mecoptera: Bittacidae) from Northeast China" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1929: 38–46. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1929.1.2. ISSN 1175-5334.
  5. Petrulevicius, J. F.; Huang, D-Y.; Ren, D. (2007). "A new hangingfly (Insecta: Mecoptera: Bittacidae) from the Middle Jurassic of Inner Mongolia, China" (PDF). African Invertebrates. 48 (1): 145–152.
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