Meleoma hageni

Banks, 1949

Meleoma hageni is a of green lacewing in the Chrysopidae, described by Nathan Banks in 1949. The Meleoma is a small, distinctive group within the Chrysopidae, characterized by reduced wing venation and other specialized morphological features that separate it from the more common green lacewings of the genus Chrysoperla. Species in this genus are poorly known compared to their economically important relatives, with limited published information on their and .

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Meleoma hageni: /ˌmɛliˈoʊmə ˈhɑːɡənaɪ/

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Identification

Meleoma are distinguished from other Chrysopidae by their reduced wing venation, with fewer crossveins in the costal space and simplified radial sector. The can be separated from the widespread genus Chrysoperla by the less dense network of wing and often more slender body form. Specific identification of M. hageni requires examination of genitalic structures and detailed wing venation patterns, as external features are subtle and overlap with .

Similar Taxa

Chrysoperla spp.Common green lacewings that share general body plan and green coloration, but differ in having more complex wing venation with numerous crossveins and more robust body form; Chrysoperla are economically important agents, whereas Meleoma species are rarely encountered.
Other Meleoma species share the diagnostic reduced wing venation and slender habitus, requiring genitalic dissection and detailed examination of wing venation patterns for definitive separation.

More Details

Taxonomic context

The Meleoma was established by Navás in 1913 and contains relatively few described . It is considered one of the more derived lineages within the Chrysopidae, with wing venation reductions representing an evolutionary specialization. The specific epithet 'hageni' likely honors Hermann August Hagen (1817-1893), a prominent 19th-century entomologist who made significant contributions to the study of Neuroptera and Odonata.

Research challenges

of Meleoma are rarely collected in large numbers and are underrepresented in museum collections compared to Chrysoperla. This scarcity, combined with subtle morphological differences between species, has resulted in limited biological and ecological data. Most information on the comes from taxonomic revisions rather than field studies.