1978] 
Henry — Ascalaphid Larva 
271 
■ MYRMELEONTIFORMI A - 
no scoli 
on abd. 
seg.3Znr 
uj w 
< < 
o a 
o pi 
2 O 
■ASCALAPHIDAE 
NEUROPTVNGINAE 
.dorso-ventral flattening; 
all scoli co-planar; 
loss of dorsal abd. 
scoli I+H; 
abd. spiracles I+H 
dorsally located 
r 
ASCALAPHINAEn 
greatly 
enlarged 
hind claws 
head specialization for 
270° jaw trap position; 
loss of all abd. scoli 
of ventral series-, 
loss of I pair of scoli each 
on meso- and metathorax 
^'reduction of ventral scolus series on abdomen; 
littering of dorsum 
^-fJcute occipital angles on head capsule 
ocular tubercle; 7 stemmata, tibio- tarsal fusion in meta- leg 
complete dorsal and ventral series of abdominal scoli 
6 or 7 stemmata; mandibular teeth 
Jr-* 
distinct 
\ ' o or r siemmaia; manaiDuiar reein 
N head and jaw specializations; 5 stemmata /side-, dolichasterine setae 
suctorial mouthparts 
Figure 4. Cladogram of myrmeleontoid families of planipennian Neuroptera, 
based upon larval features. 
abdominal spiracles ventrally. In contrast, New World neuroptyn- 
gine (entire-eyed) forms like Ascaloptnyx Banks and Byas Rambur 
(Henry, 1978) show extreme dorso-ventral flattening and a much 
larger number of scoli — twelve primary and six secondary (smaller) 
pairs, the latter placed just anteriad of the former on abdominal 
segments III-VIII. In addition, abdominal spiracles I and II are 
dorsally located in these neuroptyngines, and specialized scale-like 
dolichasters predominate on their body surfaces. Known Old World 
ascalaphines, on the other hand, resemble Nymphidae in possessing 
both a dorsal and ventral series of scoli on the abdomen and 
laterally located abdominal spiracles; however, at least in Ascala- 
phus Fabricius, 1 the ventral series is largely vestigial and the first 
'Tjeder (1972) points out that Ascalaphus as used here and as previously 
understood should be replaced for nomenclatural reasons by Libelloides Schaffer; 
Ascalaphus Fabricius then replaces Helicomitus McLachlan. 
