Myrmeleontiformia

Definition

A monophyletic clade of lacewing relatives within the order Neuroptera, historically ranked as a suborder. The group unites antlions (Myrmeleontidae), owlflies (Ascalaphidae), and related families characterized by elongate, clubbed or knobbed antennae, large compound eyes often divided by a groove, and predatory larvae that typically construct pit traps or live in loose soil or debris. Myrmeleontiformia is distinguished from the hemerobiiform lacewings by adult antennal structure, larval morphology, and molecular phylogeny, though its precise rank remains debated.

Etymology

From Myrmeleon (type genus of antlions, from Greek myrmex 'ant' and leon 'lion', referring to larval predation on ants) + Latin -iformia 'having the form of'.

Example

The pit-digging larvae of Myrmeleontiformia such as Myrmeleon immaculatus lie buried at the bottom of conical sand traps, striking at ants and small arthropods that tumble down the slope.

Related Terms

• Neuroptera
• Myrmeleontoidea
• Nemopteroidea
• Hemerobiiformia
• Myrmeleontidae
• Ascalaphidae
• antlion
• owlfly

Usage Notes

Treated historically as suborder Myrmeleontiformia, but modern phylogenetic studies (mitochondrial DNA, transcriptomics) generally support it as a clade without insisting on formal Linnaean rank. Contrast with Hemerobiiformia, which is paraphyletic and excludes Myrmeleontiformia. The superfamilies Myrmeleontoidea and Nemopteroidea are nested within this group.