Bittacus

Bittacus
Temporal range: Cenomanian–Present
Bittacus strigosus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Mecoptera
Family: Bittacidae
Genus: Bittacus
Latreille, 1805
Species

See text

Bittacus is a genus of hangingflies in the order Mecoptera. Members of the genus have a cosmopolitan distribution. The genus has existed since at least the earliest Late Cretaceous.[1] Bittacus is considered "grossly paraphyletic" and serves as a catch-all for many distantly related species of hangingflies.[2]

Characteristics

Members of this genus have long legs, the front pair of which are modified for grasping and are used to hang from vegetation. The other two pairs have tarsal claws and are modified for catching prey. There are two pairs of equal sized, membranous wings with dark mottling. The mouthparts are modified for chewing. The insects superficially resemble crane flies.[3][4]

Species

The following species are listed in the World Checklist of Extant Mecoptera Species:[3]

Extinct species

References

  1. ^ Li, Sheng; Zhang, Weiwei; Shih, Chungkun; Ren, Dong (September 2018). "A new species of hangingfly (Insecta: Mecoptera: Bittacidae) from the mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber". Cretaceous Research. 89: 92–97. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2018.03.005. S2CID 134379814.
  2. ^ Whiting, Michael F. (2002). "Mecoptera is paraphyletic: multiple genes and phylogeny of Mecoptera and Siphonaptera". Zoologica Scripta. 31 (1): 93–104. doi:10.1046/j.0300-3256.2001.00095.x. ISSN 1463-6409. S2CID 56100681.
  3. ^ a b Norman D. Penny (October 31, 1997). "World Checklist of Extant Mecoptera Species". California Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  4. ^ Meenakshi Venkataraman. "Bittacus". Indian insects. Archived from the original on March 31, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2011.

Data related to Bittacus at Wikispecies