Mecoptera
Description | Mecoptera (from the Greek: mecos = "long", ptera = "wings") are an order of insects in the superorder Endopterygota with about six hundred species in nine families worldwide. Mecopterans are sometimes called scorpionflies after their largest family, Panorpidae, in which the males have enlarged genitals that look similar to the stingers of scorpions, and long beaklike rostra. The Bittacidae, or hangingflies, are another prominent family and are known for their elaborate mating rituals, in which females choose mates based on the quality of gift prey offered to them by the males. A smaller group is the snow scorpionflies, family Boreidae, adults of which are sometimes seen walking on snowfields. In contrast, the majority of species in the order inhabit moist environments in tropical locations. From Wikipedia article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecoptera, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source Data |
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Rank | genus (GBIF) order (PBDB) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Taxonomy (GBIF) | Life : Animalia : Arthropoda : Insecta : Lepidoptera : Mecoptera | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Taxonomy (PBDB) | Life : Animalia : Arthropoda : Insecta : Mecoptera | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Taxonomic Status (GBIF) | doubtful | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Classification (PBDB,GBIF) |
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Common Name | scorpionfly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Scientific Name | Mecoptera Guenée, 1837 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Name Published In | Ann. Soc. Ent. France, 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opinions (PBDB) |
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Status (PBDB) | extant | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Taxon Size (PBDB) | 1,005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Extant Size (PBDB) | 31 (3.1%) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
First Recorded Appearance | 318 - 315 Ma Carboniferous | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Environment | terrestrial (based on Insecta) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Motility | actively mobile (based on Arthropoda) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Taphonomy | chitin (based on Insecta) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Primary Reference (PBDB) | F. M. Carpenter. 1992. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology Part R, Arthropoda 4: Superclass Hexapoda 3/4:1-655 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wikipedia | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecoptera |
Fossil Distribution
Subtaxa
Name | Status | Common Name(s) | Fossil Occurrences | Oldest | Youngest |
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Aneuretopsychina ✝ suborder | listed (PBDB) | 133 | 260 Ma Permian | 99.6 Ma Late/Upper Cretaceous | |
Eumecoptera ✝ suborder | listed (PBDB) | 32 | 272 Ma Permian | 122 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous | |
Nannomecoptera suborder | listed (PBDB) | 28 | 299 Ma Carboniferous | 0 Ma Extant | |
Paramecoptera ✝ suborder | listed (PBDB) | ||||
Paratrichoptera ✝ suborder | listed (PBDB) | 8 | 247 Ma Early/Lower Triassic | 183 Ma Early Jurassic | |
Pistillifera suborder | listed (PBDB) | 413 | 247 Ma Early/Lower Triassic | 0 Ma Extant | |
Protomecoptera ✝ suborder | listed (PBDB) | ||||
Anormochoristidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 290 Ma Permian | 290 Ma Permian | |
Belmontiidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 4 | 254 Ma Permian | 254 Ma Permian | |
Boreidae family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 2 | 152 Ma Late Jurassic | 0 Ma Extant | |
Choristopsychidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 9 | 191 Ma Early Jurassic | 166 Ma Middle Jurassic | |
Cyclopterinidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
Englathaumatidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 2 | 130 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous | 130 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous | |
Eobanksiidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
Holcorpidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 4 | 166 Ma Middle Jurassic | 37.2 Ma Eocene | |
Kaltanidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 48 | 296 Ma Permian | 254 Ma Permian | |
Karaungiridae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 254 Ma Permian | 254 Ma Permian | |
Mendozachoristidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 228 Ma Late/Upper Triassic | 228 Ma Late/Upper Triassic | |
Permocentropidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 272 Ma Permian | 272 Ma Permian | |
Permochoristidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 336 | 290 Ma Permian | 125 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous | |
Permopanorpidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 25 | 290 Ma Permian | 228 Ma Late/Upper Triassic | |
Permotanyderidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 2 | 254 Ma Permian | 254 Ma Permian | |
Permotipulidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 2 | 269 Ma Permian | 254 Ma Permian | |
Protomeropidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 27 | 318 Ma Carboniferous | 254 Ma Permian | |
Sibiriothaumatidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 152 Ma Late Jurassic | 152 Ma Late Jurassic | |
Thaumatomeropidae ✝ family | listed (PBDB) | 7 | 237 Ma Middle Triassic | 237 Ma Middle Triassic | |
Volitorididae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 125 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous | 125 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous | |
Worcestobiidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 2 | 237 Ma Middle Triassic | 209 Ma Late/Upper Triassic | |
Fortiholcorpa ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 166 Ma Middle Jurassic | 166 Ma Middle Jurassic | |
Liassopanorpa ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 191 Ma Early Jurassic | 191 Ma Early Jurassic | |
Mecaenigma ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 237 Ma Middle Triassic | 237 Ma Middle Triassic | |
Miriholcorpa ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 166 Ma Middle Jurassic | 166 Ma Middle Jurassic | |
Necropsis ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 166 Ma Middle Jurassic | 166 Ma Middle Jurassic | |
Reprehensa ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 183 Ma Early Jurassic | 183 Ma Early Jurassic | |
Solusipanorpa ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 125 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous | 125 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous |
Synonymy List
Year | Name and Author |
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1886 | Mecoptera Packard p. 808 |
1906 | Panorpata Handlirsch |
1937 | Protodiptera Tillyard |
1953 | Mecoptera Bode |
1955 | Protodiptera Riek p. 669 |
1992 | Mecoptera Carpenter |
Year | Name and Author |
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1994 | Protodiptera Evenhuis |
2004 | Mecoptera Kukalová-Peck and Lawrence |
2010 | Mecoptera Minet et al. |
2011 | Mecoptera Beutel et al. |
2014 | Mecoptera Misof et al. |