Nymphidae, sometimes called split-footed lacewings, are a family of winged insects of the order Neuroptera. There are 35 extant species native to Australia and New Guinea.

Nymphidae stand somewhat apart from other living Myrmeleontoidea. The antlions (Myrmeleontidae) and the owlflies (Ascalaphidae) are more closely related to them, but the bulk of the Nymphidae sister groups include extinct taxa known only from fossils, such as the Nymphitidae, Osmylopsychopidae or Babinskaiidae. The spoonwings (Nemopteridae) were at one time also believed to be quite closely related, but they seem to belong to another lineage of Myrmeleontiformia altogether. The family is divided into two major subfamilies, Nymphinae and Myiodactylinae. The larvae of nymphines are similar to antlions, with relatively elongate bodies, and camouflage themselves in debris, living and hunting on the ground, while myiodactylines have wide, disc shaped bodies, and are arboreal, living on plants. The adults are thought to be predaceous and are primarily active at night, and are attracted to lights.

Fossil genera are known from Europe, Asia as well as North and South America, extending back to the Middle Jurassic.

Genera

Extant genera

Subfamily Nymphinae Rambur, 1842

• Nymphes Leach, 1814

• Austronymphes Esben-Petersen, 1914

• Nesydrion Gerstaecker, 1885

Subfamily Myiodactylinae Handlirsch, 1908

• Myiodactylus Brauer, 1866

• Norfolius Navás, 1922

• Nymphydrion Banks, 1913

• Osmylops Banks, 1913

• Umbranymphes New, 1987

Extinct genera

Subfamily Nymphinae

• †Baissoleon - Yixian Formation, China, Zaza Formation, Russia, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)

• †Epinesydrion - Kamloops Group, Canada, Eocene (Ypresian)

• †Nymphes? georgei - Klondike Mountain Formation, Washington, United States, Eocene (Ypresian) (possibly synonymous with Epinesydrion)

• †Nymphites - Daohugou Bed, China, Middle/Late Jurassic Solnhofen Limestone, Germany, Late Jurassic (Tithonian) Zaza Formation, Russia, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)

• †Pronymphes - Baltic amber, Eocene

• †Rafaelnymphes - Crato Formation, Brazil, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)

Subfamily Myiodactylinae

• †Spilonymphes - Yixian Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)

Subfamily incertae sedis

• †Cretonymphes - Zaza Formation, Russia, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)

• †Dactylomyius - Arkagalinskaya Formation, Russia, Late Cretaceous (Campanian) (possibly belongs to Myiodactylinae)

• †Daonymphes - Daohugou Bed, China, Middle/Late Jurassic

• †Elenchonymphes - Burmese amber, Myanmar, Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)

• †Liminympha - Daohugou Bed, China, Middle/Late Jurassic

• †Mesonymphes - Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Late Jurassic, Solnhofen Limestone, Germany, Late Jurassic (Tithonian)

• †Mesonymphes apicalis - Zaza Formation, Russia, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)

• †Nymphavus - Burmese amber, Myanmar, Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) (known from larvae only, possibly belongs to Nymphinae)

• †Olindanymphes - Crato Formation, Brazil, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)

• †Santananymphes - Crato Formation, Brazil, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)

References