| dc.description.abstract | Chrysopidae, commonly known as ‘green lacewings,’ are worldwide-distributed insects that are integral to sustainable agricultural practices, acting as important biological control agents. With approximately 1,400 species segregated in 80 genera, the green lacewings comprise one of the largest groups in the order Neuroptera, rivaling the antlions (Myrmeleontidae). The group is widely studied not only for their agricultural benefits, but also as models for cryptic or sympatric speciation, complex communication systems, and peculiar behaviors linked to specific anatomical traits. As such, the group has attracted much attention and previous studies have attempted to resolve relationships within the family, but for varying reasons these studies have had their limitations. In the present dissertation, phylogenetic relationships among the major linages of green lacewings are reconstructed with the inclusion of a variety of data sources. A detailed morphological data set, based on diverse sampling is the core of this work, and was combined with molecular data including seven loci and mitogenomic data, in order to infer a comprehensive phylogeny of the family Chrysopidae. We provide the results of several phylogenetic analyses, primarily using Bayesian inference, covering the entire family as well as detailed analyses of the subfamilies and tribes. Divergence times of the major groups in Chrysopidae were estimated, and the evolution of several morphological characters is investigated. On the basis of the resulting phylogenetic hypotheses, we provide a revised classification of the subfamilies, tribes, genera, and subgenera of Chrysopidae. The dissertation has a strong focus on morphology, and the basis for the combined data phylogeny was a revision of the homology statements of all external and genitalic charcaters of Chrysopidae. As an examplar for the family, we here describe the morphological characters of Chrysopa oculata Say, and provide a revised ontology for the family. The wings of Chrysopidae are unique among lacewings given the high amount of vein fusion. This trait is further investigated and set into a comparative morphological framework in Neuropteroida. | |
