A mysterious treasure originated from Africa: evolutionary history of the endangered spoon-winged lacewings (Neuroptera: Nemopteridae: Nemopterinae) from China

Abstract

Abstract The spoon-winged lacewings (Neuroptera: Nemopteridae: Nemopterinae) are a group of charismatic insects with morphological and biological specializations. Among the known 105 species of Nemopterinae worldwide, only one species, namely Nemopistha sinica Yang, 1986, is recorded from East Asia. However, the morphology, taxonomic status, and evolutionary history of this rare species are poorly known. Here, we present a systematic revision of the Chinese Nemopterinae and establish a new genus, Sinonemoptera, that comprises Sinonemoptera sinica (Yang, 1986) comb. nov. from western Yunnan and a new species, Sinonemoptera tibetana sp. nov., from southeastern Tibet. Based on the phylogeny of Nemopterinae combining morphological and molecular evidence, Nemopterinae are divided into two major clades by the length of the adult abdomen, and Sinonemoptera gen. nov. together with some Afrotropical genera constitute a monophyletic lineage characterized by a long abdomen. Our results suggest a Late Cretaceous African origin and three Tertiary transcontinental dispersals in shaping the global distribution of Nemopterinae. Our ecological niche modelling demonstrates the specific requirement for warm and dry habitats in nemopterines and highlights the urgent need for protection of the savannah-like habitat along the Nujiang valley for the Chinese Nemopterinae.