biology

Hemerobiidae

Hemerobiidae is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hemerobiidae rather than just read about it. In short: Hemerobiidae is a family of Neuropteran insects commonly known as brown lacewings, comprising about 500 species in 28 genera. Most are yellow to dark brown, but some species are green.

Key takeaways

Hemerobiidae belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hemerobiidae to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hemerobiidae from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Hemerobiidae is a family of Neuropteran insects commonly known as brown lacewings, comprising about 500 species in 28 genera. Most are yellow to dark brown, but some species are green. They are small; most have forewings 4–10 mm long (some up to 18 mm). These insects differ from the somewhat similar Chrysopidae (green lacewings) not only by the usual coloring but also by the wing venation: hemerobiids differ from chrysopids in having numerous long veins (two or more radial sectors) and forked costal cross veins. Some genera (Hemerobius, Micromus, Notiobiella, Sympherobius, Wesmaelius) are widespread, but most are restricted to a single biogeographical realm. Some species have reduced wings to the degree that they are flightless. Imagines (adults) of subfamily Drepanepteryginae mimic dead leaves. Hemerobiid larvae are usually less hairy than chrysopid larvae. Hemerobiids, like chrysopids, are predatory, especially on aphids, both as larvae and adults. The species Micromus tasmaniae is bred for biological pest control.

Systematics 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.

Phylogeny Cladogram of Hemerobiidae relations, based on morphological and molecular data. Psychobiellinae was rearranged into Notiobiellinae and Zachobiellinae, and Adelphohemerobiinae was placed as incertae sedis.

Genera The subfamilies of Hemerobiidae are:

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

Chinery, Michael (1986): Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe.

External links Media related to Hemerobiidae at Wikimedia Commons BioLib Taxonomic tree of Hemerobiidae (incomplete) Brown lacewings of Florida on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hemerobiidae

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hemerobiidae claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hemerobiidae before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hemerobiidae ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hemerobiidae

In research: Hemerobiidae appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hemerobiidae in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hemerobiidae is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Extant Jurassic first appearances, Hemerobiiformia, Neuroptera, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hemerobiidae outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Hemerobiidae in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hemerobiidae means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hemerobiidae out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hemerobiidae in simple terms?

Hemerobiidae is a family of Neuropteran insects commonly known as brown lacewings, comprising about 500 species in 28 genera. Most are yellow to dark brown, but some species are green.

Why does Hemerobiidae matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hemerobiidae?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hemerobiidae.