Ithonidae
| Ithonidae Temporal range: Early Jurassic–Recent |
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| Allorapisma chuorum holotype | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Neuroptera |
| Superfamily: | Ithonioidea |
| Family: |
Ithonidae Newman, 1838 |
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Ithonidae, commonly called moth lacewings and giant lacewings, is a small family of winged insects of the insect order Neuroptera. The family contains a total of ten living genera, and twelve extinct genera described from fossils. The modern Ithonids have a notably disjunct distribution, while the extinct genera had a more global range. The family is considered one of the most primitive living neuropteran families. Ithonids may be phytophagous. The family has been expanded twice, first to include the genus Rapisma, formerly placed in the monotypic family Rapismatidae, and then in 2010 to include the genera that had been placed into the family Polystoechotidae. Both Rapismatidae and Polystoechotidae have been shown to nest into Ithonidae.
Ithonidae are typically medium to large-sized neuropterans.P. S. Welch conducted research in 1914 on "Polystoechotidae" larvae resulting in the conclusion that the larvae were carnivorous. The first instar stage for modern larvae is a carabaeiform grub.Robert J. Tillyard first described the larvae of Ithone fusca in 1922, noting the unusual grub-like shape, similar to fruit-chafers and June beetles, as unique among Neuroptera species. The odd larval shape of Ithionidae larvae has been, and continues to be, a subject of interest among entomologists. Tillyard suggested the larvae to be carnivorous, preying upon Scarabaeidae larvae, attacking with the large mandibles and "sucking them dry". Further study by Faulkner in 1990 has shown the immature Ithonidae to be phytophagous, a condition unique among neuropterans. The genus Rapisma was formerly considered distinct from the Ithonidae and placed in the monotypic family Rapismatidae. Recent studies have favored inclusion into Ithonidae, while this is not always followed, it has been supported by recent phylogenetic work. Mass emergences have been recorded from the genera Oliarces and Ithone, usually associated with seasonal rains.
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