Neurostigmatidae
Neurostigma
Emilie Bess and Kevin P. Johnson- Neurostigma chaetocephalum
- Neurostigma dispositum
- Neurostigma enderleini
- Neurostigma furcivenula
- Neurostigma paucivenosum
- Neurostigma radiatum
- Neurostigma roesleri
- Neurostigma xanthopterum
Introduction
The genus Neurostigma is the only member of family Neurostigmatidae. It includes 8 species known from Central and South America.Characteristics
Synapomorphies
- Antennal scape is membranous over much of its ventral surface and well sclerotized only at the base (shared with Epipsocidae).
- Forewing has a single anal vein (shared with Epipsocidae).
- Head: Antennae have 13 segments.
- Legs: Tarsi have 2 segments.
- Wings:
- Forewing veins:
- Forewing has single anal vein because vein A2 is absent.
- Areola postica is long and narrow, free of vein M.
- Pterostigma is long and narrow.
- Long crossvein connects veins Rs and M.
- Forewing veins and margins have few hairs.
How to Know the Family
- Antennae have 13 segments.
- Tarsi have two segments.
- Forewing has single anal vein because vein A2 is absent.
- Forewing has few hairs on wing veins.
Family Monophyly
Monophyly of the genus Neurostigma is supported by three synapomorpic characters: two segmented tarsi, few setae on the wing veins, and the presence of a single anal vein (Eertmoed 1973).
Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships
There is some disagreement regarding whether genus Neurostigma is correctly placed alone in family Neurostigmatidae (Eertmoed 1973) or if it belongs in family Epipsocidae (Smithers 1972, Mockford 1998). In a morphological analysis of superfamily Epipsocetae, Casasola-Gonzalez (2006) concluded that the genus probably belongs in Epipsocidae. Neurostigma has not yet been included in a molecular study.
References
Casasola Gonzalez, J.A. 2006. Phylogenetic relationships of the genera of Epipsocetae (Psocoptera: Psocomorpha). Zootaxa 1194: 1-32.
Eertmoed, G.E. 1973. The phenetic relationships of the Epipsocetae (Psocoptera): the higher taxa and the species of two new families. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 99: 373–414.
Lienhard, C. and C. N Smithers. 2002. Psocoptera (Insecta) World Catalogue and Bibliography. Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, Geneva, Switzerland.
Mockford, E.L. 1998. Generic definitions and species assignments in the Family Epipsocidae (Psocoptera). Insecta Mundi: 12: 81-91.
Smithers, C.N. 1972. The classification and phylogeny of the Psocoptera. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 14: 1–349.
About This Page
Emilie Bess
Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA
Kevin P. Johnson
Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA
Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Emilie Bess at and Kevin P. Johnson at
Page copyright © 2009 Emilie Bess and Kevin P. Johnson
All Rights Reserved.
- First online 25 March 2009
- Content changed 25 March 2009
Citing this page:
Bess, Emilie and Kevin P. Johnson. 2009. Neurostigmatidae. Neurostigma. Version 25 March 2009 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Neurostigma/30256/2009.03.25 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
