The relationships between the
Hemerobiidae and the other Neuropteran families are still unresolved. Despite their superficial similarity to
chrysopids, the brown and green lacewings may not be as closely related as was at one time believed. Rather, the
Hemerobiidae appear to be closely related to the
Mantispidae. The
superfamily Hemerobioidea is currently restricted to the Hemerobiidae. Formerly, the pleasing lacewings (
Dilaridae), silky lacewings (
Psychopsidae), giant lacewings (
Polystoechotidae) and as noted above the green lacewings (
Chrysopidae) were placed therein too. Of these, only the
Dilaridae and
Chrysopidae seem to be reasonably close relatives of the brown lacewings. The
Psychopsidae in fact seem to belong to an altogether different
suborder of Neuroptera, the
Myrmeleontiformia.
Genera The subfamilies of Hemerobiidae are: '' adult (
Drepanepteryginae) ) • Subfamily
Drepanacrinae • Genus
Austromegalomus • Genus
Conchopterella • Genus
Drepanacra • Genus
Psychobiella • Subfamily
Carobiinae • Genus
Carobius • Subfamily
Drepanepteryginae • Genus
Drepanepteryx Leach, 1815 • Genus
Gayomyia • Genus
Neuronema • Subfamily
Hemerobiinae • Genus
Biramus • Genus
Hemerobiella • Genus
Hemerobius Linnaeus, 1758 • Genus
Nesobiella • Genus
Wesmaelius Krüger, 1922 • Subfamily
Megalominae • Genus
Megalomus Rambur, 1842 • Subfamily
Microminae • Genus
Megalomina Banks, 1909 • Genus
Micromus Rambur, 1842 • Genus
Nusalala Navás, 1913 • Subfamily
Notiobiellinae • Genus
Notiobiella • Subfamily
Sympherobiinae • Genus
Neosympherobius • Genus
Nesobiella • Genus
Sympherobius Banks, 1904 • Subfamily
Zachobiellinae • Genus
Anapsectra • Genus
Psectra Hagen, 1866 • Genus
Zachobiella • Subfamily
incertae sedis • Genus
Adelphohemerobius Oswald, 1993 • Genus
Notherobius - uncertain or fairly
basal position
Fossils Numerous
fossil Hemerobiidae have been described, some from the still-living genera, others from genera that are entirely extinct today. While most have been found in
Eocene to
Miocene rocks or
amber,
Promegalomus is known from the
Jurassic. It was formerly considered to constitute a distinct family
Promegalomidae, but is currently recognized as a very basal member of the Hemerobiidae. The
Cretaceous Mesohemerobius was formerly considered a brown lacewing, but is today rather placed as
incertae sedis in the Neuroptera; it might be a member of the Hemerobioidea but not even that is certain. Notable fossil Hemerobiidae genera are: •
Bothromicromus Scudder, 1878 (Eocene/Oligocene;
Quesnel, British Columbia) •
Brasilopsychopsis Crato Formation Brazil, Early Cretaceous (
Aptian) •
Cratopsychopsis Crato Formation Brazil, Aptian •
Cretomerobius Ponomarenko, 1992
Dzun-Bain Formation, Mongolia, Aptian •
Hemeroberotha Makarkin & Gröhn, 2020
Burmese amber, Myanmar, Late Cretaceous (
Cenomanian) •
Mucropalpus Pictet, 1856 (Eocene;
Baltic amber) •
Plesiorobius Klimaszewski and Kevan 1986 Late Cretaceous (
Taimyr amber, Russia,
Santonian Canadian amber,
Campanian Ola Formation, Russia, Campanian) •
Prochlanius Kruger, 1923 (Eocene; Baltic amber) •
Promegalomus Panfilov, 1980
Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan, Middle/Late Jurassic (
Callovian/
Oxfordian) •
Prophlebonema Kruger, 1923 (Eocene; Baltic amber) •
Prospadobius Kruger, 1923 (Eocene; Baltic amber) •
Purbemerobius Jepson et al. 2012
Durlston Formation, United Kingdom, Early Cretaceous (
Berriasian) The extinct genus
Hemerobites was originally described in 1813 from a specimen preserved in Baltic amber as a hemerobiid. However further study has resulted in its synonymy with the genus
Eutermes and placement in the
termite subfamily
Termitina. The species
Wesmaelius mathewesi, was described in 2003 from a solitary Eocene fossil found near Quesnel, British Columbia, and placed into the extant genus
Wesmaelius. At that time it was the oldest Hemerobiinae species described. Another species from the same genus,
Wesmaelius makarkini was found in
Garang Formation of
Zeku County,
Qinghai Province,
China, in 2018. The finding is from
Lower Miocene. Some additional brown lacewing larvae have been found as fossils, but it has been impossible to determine their generic or subfamilial association. ==References==