Mesoraphidiidae

Mesoraphidiidae are similar in overall appearance to modern snakefly species, having an elongated prothorax, giving a snake-like profile and from which the common name snakefly is derived. The family was likely tree-dwelling by nature, with larvae being active predators in trunks and branches. Female mesoraphidiids, where known and complete enough, have a long and densely annultated ovipositor which would have been used to lay eggs in crevices of bark. The family was restricted to the Northern Hemisphere, living in the warm temperate and paratropical forest belt that covered portions of Eurasia and North America. ==History and classification==

As currently described, Mesoraphidiidae contains over twenty-five genera, though several of the included genera were previously placed into separate families. As noted by Günter Bechly and Karin Wolf-Schwenninger in 2011, the defining characteristic shared by all members of the family is the placement of the forewings m1, m2 and m3 cells in a triangular pattern. :Family Mesoraphidiidae Martynov, 1925 ::Subfamily Alloraphidiinae :::Genus Alloraphidia Carpenter, 1967 Shinekhudag Formation, Dzun-Bain Formation, Mongolia, Zaza Formation, Russia Early Cretaceous (Aptian) Redmond Formation, Canada, Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Kzyl-Zhar, Kazakhstan, Late Cretaceous (Turonian) :::Genus Archeraphidia Ponomarenko, 1988 Dzun-Bain Formation, Mongolia, Zaza Formation, Russia Early Cretaceous (Aptian) :::Genus Pararaphidia Willmann, 1994 Dzun-Bain Formation, Mongolia, Zaza Formation, Russia Early Cretaceous (Aptian) :::Genus Yixianoraphidia Lyu et al. 2020 Yixian Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) ::: ::: ::Subfamily Mesoraphidiinae Martynov, 1925 :::Genus Alavaraphidia Pérez-de la Fuente, Peñalver, Delclòs, & Engel, 2012 Spanish amber, Early Cretaceous (Albian) :::Genus Amarantoraphidia Pérez-de la Fuente, Peñalver, Delclòs, & Engel, 2012 Spanish amber, Early Cretaceous (Albian) :::Genus Baisoraphidia Ponomarenko, 1993 Zaza Formation, Russia Early Cretaceous (Aptian) :::Genus Cretinocellia Ponomarenko, 1988 Dzun-Bain Formation, Mongolia, Zaza Formation, Russia Early Cretaceous (Aptian) :::Genus Huaxiaraphidia Hong, 1992 Laiyang Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) :::Genus Jilinoraphidia Hong & Chang, 1989 Dalazi Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) :::Genus Kezuoraphidia Willmann, 1994 Shahai Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) :::Genus Mesoraphidia Martynov, 1925 Daohugou, China, Middle/Late Jurassic Ulaan-Ereg Formation, Mongolia, Late Jurassic (Tithonian), Purbeck Group, United Kingdom, Early Cretaceous (Berriasian) Weald Clay, United Kingdom, Early Cretaceous (Hauterivian/Barremian) Lushangfen Formation, Yixian Formation, China Zaza Formation, Russia, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) Jinju Formation, South Korea, Early Cretaceous (Albian) :::Genus Necroraphidia Pérez-de la Fuente, Peñalver, Delclòs, & Engel, 2012 Spanish amber, Early Cretaceous (Albian) :::Genus Phiradia Willmann, 1994 Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Middle/Late Jurassic :::Genus Proraphidia Martynova, 1947 Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Middle/Late Jurassic, Weald Clay, United Kingdom, Early Cretaceous (Hauterivian) La Pedrera de Rúbies Formation, Spain, Early Cretaceous (Barremian), Yixian Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) :::Genus Siboptera Ponomarenko, 1993 Yixian Formation, China Zaza Formation, Russia, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) :::Genus Sinoraphidia Hong, 1982 Yixian Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) :::Genus Xuraphidia Hong, 1992 Shahai Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) :::Genus Yanoraphidia Ren, 1995 Yixian Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) :::Genus Grammoraphidia Lyu, Ren & Liu, 2020 Yixian Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) :::Genus Beipiaoraphidia Lyu, Ren & Liu, 2020, Yixian Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) :::Tribe Nanoraphidiini ::::Genus Burmoraphidia Liu, Lu & Zhang, 2016 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) ::::Genus Cantabroraphidia Pérez-de la Fuente, Nel, Peñalver & Delclòs, 2010 Spanish amber, Early Cretaceous (Albian) ::::Genus Dolichoraphidia Liu, Lu & Zhang, 2016 Burmese amber ::::Genus Grimaldiraphidia Bechly & Wolf-Schwenninger, 2011 New Jersey amber, United States, Late Cretaceous (Turonian) ::::Genus Nanoraphidia Engel, 2002 Burmese amber ::::Genus Lebanoraphidia Bechly & Wolf-Schwenninger, 2011 Lebanese amber, Early Cretaceous (Barremian) ::::Genus Rhynchoraphidia Liu, Lu & Zhang, 2016 Burmese amber ::Subfamily Ororaphidiinae :::Genus Caloraphidia Ren, 1997 Yixian Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) :::Genus Ororaphidia Engel & Ren 2008 Daohugou, China, Middle/Late Jurassic :::Genus Styporaphidia Engel & Ren 2008 Daohugou, China, Middle/Late Jurassic, Yixian Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) Spanish amber, Early Cretaceous (Albian) ::Subfamily "incertae sedis" :::Genus Iberoraphidia Jepson, Ansorge & Jarzembowski, 2011 La Pedrera de Rúbies Formation, Spain, Early Cretaceous (Barremian) ==References==