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  • Book
  • © 2017

Neuroptera (Including Megaloptera)

  • Provides keys to identify families, genera, aquatic and terrestrial species of Neuroptera, including Megaloptera
  • Features over 600 illustrations showing multiple morphological structures to identify the keys
  • Mentions groups of great potential value for biological control of agricultural pests and disease vectors with references to available literature about their value
  • Includes bibliographies for each family and general subjects for publications about South American neuropterans, appeared over a period of more than 240 years

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects (ESAAI)

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Hardcover Book USD 199.99
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Table of contents (17 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvi
  2. Order 7: Neuroptera (sensu lato)

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. General Information

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 3-46
    3. Keys to the Neuroptera Families in South America

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 47-72
  3. Megaloptera

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 73-73
    2. Sialidae

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 75-79
    3. Corydalidae

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 81-119
  4. Planipennia

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 121-121
    2. Coniopterygidae

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 123-182
    3. Ascalaphidae

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 183-224
    4. Myrmeleontidae

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 225-284
    5. Crocidae

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 285-292
    6. Nemopteridae

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 293-294
    7. Mantispidae

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 295-341
    8. Dilaridae

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 343-353
    9. Hemerobiidae

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 355-412
    10. Osmylidae

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 413-423
    11. Polystoechotidae

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 425-427
    12. Sisyridae

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 429-445
    13. Chrysopidae

      • Charles W. Heckman
      Pages 447-594

About this book

This order once encompassed all insects with a complex network of wing veins, regardless of whether their metamorphosis was incomplete or complete.  By the early 20th century, most of the species had been transferred to new orders, leaving only a small percentage of the insects once assigned to the Neuroptera remaining in that order.  By the second half of the 20th century, some of the taxonomists began to believe that the fragmentation of this order had gone too far, and that the order Megaloptera needed to be grouped in some way with Neuroptera, either by making them suborders of the same order or by creating a superorder to accommodate both.

This volume provides a discussion of both taxa, tentatively regrouping both in the order Neuroptera.  While all known species of Megaloptera in South America have completely aquatic larval stages, few species in the suborder Planipennia, formerly called Neuroptera sensu stricto, are aquatic during any of their life stages.  The most interesting of the exceptions are species in the family Sisyridae, some of which develop as larvae inside freshwater sponges.

Because only a relatively small number of species are still included in Neuroptera sensu lato, this book provides keys to all known South American species that have been described well enough to be identified with any degree of certainty.  Many species in the family Chloropidae, the neuropteran family with the greatest number of recognized species in South America, have proven to be valuable as biological controls for insect pests in agriculture.  Their importance for tropical agriculture is another reason for including terrestrial species in this book.

The series will continue with volumes providing keys to identify species of other South American orders, but in most cases, only aquatic insects can be included in the keys to the species.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Olympia, USA

    Charles W. Heckman

About the author

The author, Dr. Charles W. Heckman, has performed ecological research in Laos, Thailand, Germany, Brazil, and the United States. His publications include books on rice field ecology in Thailand and the Pantanal wetland in western Brazil, as well as many monographs and shorter publications on various aspects of biology and environmental sciences. He undertook the preparation of the Encyclopedia of South American Aquatic Insects to produce a reference work with which researchers in South America can identify the species they encounter without having to first complete exhaustive searches of the literature, including papers published on several continents in different languages. The lack of such a tool has long impeded progress in faunal surveys, ecology, and other fields of science. Dr. Heckman’s extensive experience identifying aquatic insect species using less than optimal literature has allowed him to develop an ability for recognizing the morphological features most useful for distinguishing one species from another, and this ability comes to the aid of the users of his keys to the South American aquatic insect species.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
This title has not yet been released. You may pre-order it now and we will ship your order when it is published on 18 May 2017.
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access