Phylogeny of M yrmeleontiformia based on larval morphology ( N europterida: N europtera)

Abstract The suborder M yrmeleontiformia is a derived lineage of lacewings ( I nsecta: N europtera) including the families P sychopsidae, N emopteridae, N ymphidae, A scalaphidae and M yrmeleontidae. In particular, M yrmeleontidae (antlions) are the most diverse neuropteran family, representing a conspicuous component of the insect fauna of xeric environments. We present the first detailed quantitative phylogenetic analysis of M yrmeleontiformia, based on 107 larval morphological and behavioural characters for 36 genera whose larvae are known (including at least one representative of all the subfamilies of the suborder). Four related families were used as outgroups to polarize character states. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using both parsimony and B ayesian methods. The reconstructions resulting from our analyses corroborate the monophyly of M yrmeleontiformia. Within this clade, P sychopsidae are recovered as the sister family to all the remaining taxa. Nemopteridae (including both subfamilies N emopterinae and C rocinae) are recovered as monophyletic and sister to the clade comprising N ymphidae + ( M yrmeleontidae + A scalaphidae). N ymphidae consist of two well‐supported clades corresponding to the subfamilies N ymphinae and M yiodactylinae. Our results suggest that A scalaphidae may not be monophyletic, as they collapse into an unresolved polytomy under the B ayesian analysis. In addition, the recovered phylogenetic relationships diverge from the traditional classification scheme for ascalaphids. M yrmeleontidae are reconstructed as monophyletic, with the subfamilies S tilbopteryginae, P alparinae and M yrmeleontinae. We retrieved a strongly supported clade comprising taxa with a fossorial habit of the preimaginal instars, which represents a major antlion radiation, also including the monophyletic pit‐trap building species.