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The Essex Naturalist
Coniopteryx pygmaea - Unknown - possibly broad-leaved woodland
Parasemidalis fuscipennis - Unknown, perhaps associated with Scots Pine
Drepanepteryx phalaenoides - Dense woodland with mature oaks
Hemerobius atrifrons - Larch trees, especially in woodland
Hemerobius simulans - Larch trees, especially in woodland
Sympherobius fuscescens — Scots Pine trees
Wesmaelius concinnus - Scots pine, especially in woodland
MECOPTERA
Panorpa cognata - Unknown. Most often found in association with brambles
British and Essex species
There are approximately 4,500 Neuroptera in the world today, together with a
further 180 Raphidioptera and several Megaloptera and Mecoptera.
Raphidioptera
Two families are present in the world fauna, the Raphidiidae, characterised by
the presence of ocelli on the vertex, and the Inocelliidae, in which the ocelli are
absent, with approximately 160 and 20 species respectively. Both families are
represented in Europe (66 Raphidiidae and seven Inocelliidae) though only the
Raphidiidae are present in Britain and these by only four species.
The snakeflies, as the Raphidiidae are commonly known, are strictly arboreal
species and are extremely poor at flying. They are characterised by the long
pronotum which gives the adult insect its snake-like appearance and, in the
female, by the long ovipositor by means of which eggs are inserted in crevices in
bark. It is this appendage which gives the group its name (Greek Raphidos =
needle).
The larvae live under bark and are predatory on other insect species. In Essex,
we have three species - Phaeostigma notata, Subilla confinis and Xanthostigma
xanthostigma though the status of these is far from clear and all are probably
hopelessly under-recorded due to their habit of residing in the tops of trees. It is
desirable to receive details of host trees with any records submitted to the
recording scheme.
Megaloptera
The Megaloptera, or alder-flies, are a common feature of waterside vegetation in
late April and early May in Britain, where they are represented by three of the
six European species, none of which have any particular association with alder
trees beyond the fact that these trees are often found in the same habitats.
The larvae are fully aquatic and breathe via gills arranged down the side of
the body. They are predatory on micro-organisms and also feed on detritus in
the first instar but later progress through benthic Crustacea to chironomid
larvae and Oligochaete worms in the final stage. The adults of European species