Osmylidae

Osmylidae are a small family of winged insects of the net-winged insect order Neuroptera. The osmylids, also called lance lacewings, stream lacewings or giant lacewings, are found all over the world except North and Central America. There are around 225 extant species.

Description and ecology

Adult osmylids are small to moderately-sized net-winged insects, with wingspans ranging from 1.4 to 3 cm. Smaller members resemble typical green lacewings, and larger species resemble antlions. Many species, namely those of the type genus Osmylus, have spotted wings. The thin antennae are short. They have two compound eyes, as well as three ocelli in between. Adult osmylids, like green lacewings, have prothoracal glands which produce foul-smelling compounds used to deter would-be predators.
Their larvae are superficially similar to those of spongillaflies. They have peculiar mouthparts which look like a thin forceps with the ends bending outwards. The body is elongated and slender and terminates in two extensible graspers bearing tiny hooks; these are used to aid in locomotion and to grasp prey. The larvae are associated with damp, mossy habitats and are amphibious. They hunt small invertebrate prey, from which they suck the body fluids with their mouthparts.
The adults are diurnal or crepuscular weak-flying insects which mostly prey on small invertebrates, supplemented with some pollen. Eggs are deposited in damp places, usually near freshwater.

Systematics and taxonomy

Osmylids are generally placed with the extant families Sisyridae and Nevrorthidae within the clade Osmyloidea, which is the second earliest diverging clade of Neuroptera after Coniopterygidae. The group also contains Archeosmylidae from the Permian-Triassic and Saucrosmylidae from the Middle Jurassic, both of which are thought to be closely related to Osmylidae. The earliest records of Osmylidae date to the Early Jurassic, some of which are already assignable to extant subfamilies, and were diverse during the Jurassic and Cretaceous. At least 278 species have been described in 25 extant and 38 extinct genera.
The following subfamilies and genera are largely after Winterton et al., 2019

Eidoporisminae

Eidoporisminae Eidoporismus - Australia

†Stenosmylina - Weald Clay, United Kingdom, Early Cretaceous

Gumillinae

Gumillinae Gumilla - Brazil

†Allotriosmylus - Daohugou Bed, China, Middle Jurassic
†Enodinympha - Daohugou Bed, China, Middle Jurassic
†Epiosmylus - Daohugou Bed, China, Middle Jurassic, Itat Formation, Russia, Middle Jurassic, Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Middle/Late Jurassic
†Kolbasinella - Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Middle/Late Jurassic
†Nilionympha - Daohugou Bed, China, Middle Jurassic
†Nuddsia - Crato Formation, Brazil, Early Cretaceous
†Osmylochrysa - Purbeck Group, England, Early Cretaceous
†Tenuosmylus Daohugou Bed, China, Middle Jurassic

Kempyninae

Kempyninae Australysmus - AustraliaEuosmylus - New ZealandKempynus Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile

†Arbusella - Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Middle/Late Jurassic
†Cretosmylus - Zaza Formation, Russia, Early Cretaceous
†Euporismites Redbank Plains Formation, Australia, Eocene
†Jurakempynus Daohugou Bed, China, Middle Jurassic, Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Middle/Late Jurassic, Shar-Teeg, Mongolia, Late Jurassic
†Kempynosmylus Zaza Formation, Russia, Early Cretaceous
†Ponomarenkius - Daohugou Bed, China, Middle Jurassic
†Sauktangida - Kyrgyzstan, Early Jurassic
†Mirokempynus Daohugou Bed, China, Middle Jurassic

†Mesosmylininae

Mesosmylininae

†Mesosmylina Jurassic, Europe & Asia
†Sogjuta Jurassic, Asia

Osmylinae

Osmylinae Grandosmylus - Afghanistan, TajikistanLahulus - IndiaOsmylus - EurasiaParosmylus Needham, 1909 - Central through South AsiaSinosmylus - China

†Lithosmylus - Florissant Formation, Colorado, United States, Eocene
†Vetosmylus - Daohugou Bed, China, Middle Jurassic

Porisminae

Porisminae Porismus - Australia

Protosmylinae

Protosmylinae Gryposmylus - Central to Southeast AsiaHeterosmylus Central to South AsiaLysmus - Indonesia, China, Japan, RussiaParyphosmylus - Ecuador

†Juraheterosmylus - Daohugou Bed, China, Middle Jurassic
†Jurosmylus - Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Middle/Late Jurassic
†Mesosmylidus - Purbeck Group, England, Early Cretaceous
†Myanmarosmylus Burmese amber, Myanmar, Late Cretaceous
†Osmylidia - Florissant Formation, Colorado, United States, Eocene
†Petrushevskia - Dzhil Formation, Kyrgyzstan, Early Jurassic
†Protosmylina - Weald Clay, United Kingdom, Early Cretaceous
†Protosmylus - Baltic amber, Baltic Coast, Europe, Eocene
†Pseudosmylidia Florissant Formation, Colorado, United States, Eocene

Spilosmylinae

Spilosmylinae Spilosmylus - Africa, South through Southeast Asia, New GuineaThaumatosmylus - Indonesia, Malaysia, ChinaThyridosmylus Madagascar, China, India

†Ensiosmylus Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Middle/Late Jurassic
†Imanosmylus Siyanovskaya Formation, Russia, Late Cretaceous

[Stenosmylinae]

Stenosmylinae Carinosmylus - AustraliaEuporismus - AustraliaIsostenosmylus - Northern South AmericaOedosmylus - AustraliaPhymatosmylus - Argentina, ChileStenolysmus - AustraliaStenosmylus - Australia

''Incertae sedis''

†Archaeosmylidia - Daohugou Bed, China, Middle Jurassic
†Dimidiosmylus - Shar-Teeg, Mongolia, Late Jurassic
†Erlikosmylus - Sagul Formation, Kyrgyzstan, Early Jurassic
†Karaosmylus Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Middle/Late Jurassic
†Kubekius - Itat Formation, Russia, Middle Jurassic
†Osmylopsis - Purbeck Group, England, Early Cretaceous
†Palaeothyridosmylus Daohugou Bed, China, Middle Jurassic
†Pronymphites - Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Middle/Late Jurassic
†Scapoptera - Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Middle/Late Jurassic
†Stenochrysa - Purbeck Group, England, Early Cretaceous
†Tengriosmylus - Sagul Formation, Kyrgyzstan, Early Jurassic
†Tetanoptilon - Posidonia Shale, Germany, Early Jurassic