Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 9 No. 5: September 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-09-24
DOI: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.9.5.10
Page range: 419-429
Abstract views: 156
PDF downloaded: 7

A review of the Late Jurassic Promantispa Panfilov (Neuroptera: Mantispidae), with description of a new species

Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity; Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Vladivostok; Russia
Borissiak Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences; 117997; Profsoyuznaya str. 123; Moscow; Russia
Neuroptera Mantispidae Drepanicinae Doratomantispinae Chrysopoidea Karatau Mesozoic insects fossil lacewings Kazakhstan Karabastau

Abstract

The Late Jurassic genus Promantispa Panfilov, 1980 (Neuroptera: Mantispidae) is reviewed. Promantispa similis Panfilov, 1980 from the Aulie / Mikhailovka locality (Kazakhstan) is re-described based on the holotype and an additional specimen. Promantispa rasnitsyni sp. nov. is described from that locality based on a nearly complete forewing. The new species differs from P. similis in having a short distal crossvein in the subcostal space, a shallow terminal fork of A3, and a differently positioned 2r-m crossvein (its position between the basal branch of RP and MA has never been previously recorded in the family). The taxonomic affinities of Promantispa and Liassochrysa Ansorge & Schlüter, 1990 from the Early Jurassic of Germany are discussed. We argue that these two genera cannot be assigned to Drepanicinae as previously suggested, but that it is reasonable to provisionally consider them as subfamily incertae sedis.

References

  1. Adams, P.A. & Penny, N.D. (1992) Review of the South American genera of Nothochrysinae (Insecta: Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). In: Canard, M., Aspöck, H. & Mansell, M.W. (Eds), Current research in neuropterology. Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Neuropterology, 24–27 June 1991, Bagnères-de-Luchon, Haute-Garonne, France. Privately printed, Toulouse, pp. 35–41.
  2. Ansorge, J. & Schlüter, T. (1990) The earliest Chrysopid: Liassochrysa stigmatica n. g., n. sp. from the Lower Jurassic of Dobbertin, Germany. Neuroptera International, 6, 87–93.
  3. Baranov, V., Pérez-de la Fuente, R., Engel, M.S., Hammel, J.U., Kiesmüller, C., Hörnig, M.K., Pazinato, P.G., Stahlecker, C., Haug, C. & Haug, J.T. (2022) The first adult mantis lacewing from Baltic amber, with an evaluation of the post-Cretaceous loss of morphological diversity of raptorial appendages in Mantispidae. Fossil Record, 25 (1), 11–24. https://doi.org/10.3897/fr.25.80134
  4. Breitkreuz, L.C.V., Winterton, S.L. & Engel, M.S. (2017) Wing tracheation in Chrysopidae and other Neuropterida (Insecta): A resolution of the confusion about vein fusion. American Museum Novitates, 3890, 1–44. https://doi.org/10.1206/3890.1
  5. Buscalioni, A.D. & Poyato-Ariza, F.J. (2016) Las Hoyas: A unique Cretaceous ecosystem. In: Khosla, A. & Lucas, S.G. (Eds), Cretaceous Period: Biotic Diversity and Biogeography. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin, 71, 51–63.
  6. Cai, C.Y., Tihelka, E., Liu, X.Y. & Engel, M.S. (2023) Improved modelling of compositional heterogeneity reconciles phylogenomic conflicts among lacewings. Palaeoentomology, 6 (1), 49–57. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.6.1.8
  7. Cockerell, T.D.A. (1921) Fossil arthropods in the British Museum. VI. Oligocene insects from Gurnet Bay, Isle of Wight. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Ser. 9, 7 (42), 453–480.
  8. Doludenko, M.P. & Orlovskaya, E.R. (1976) Jurassic floras of the Karatau Range, southern Kazakhstan. Palaeontology, 19, 627–640.
  9. Doludenko, M.P., Sakulina, G.V. & Ponomarenko, A.G. (1990) The geology and Late Jurassic fauna and flora of a unique locality Aulie (Karatau Mountains, Southern Kazakhstan). Geologicheskii Institut AN SSSR, Moscow, 38 pp. [In Russian]
  10. Dzik, J., Sulej, T. & Niedźwiedzki, G. (2010) Possible link connecting reptilian scales with avian feathers from the early Late Jurassic of Kazakstan. Historical Biology, 22, 394–402. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912961003710616
  11. Engel, M.S. & Grimaldi, D.A. (2007) The Neuropterid fauna of Dominican and Mexican amber (Neuropterida: Megaloptera, Neuroptera). American Museum Novitates, 3587, 1–58. https://doi.org/10.1206/0003-0082(2007)3587[1:TNFODA]2.0.CO;2
  12. Hart, L.J., Engel, M.S., Frese, M. & McCurry, M.R. (2024) The first fossil mantis lacewing (Neuroptera: Mantispidae) from Australia. Palaeoentomology, 7 (3), 345–348. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.7.3.3
  13. Jarzembowski, E.A. (1980) Fossil insects from the Bembridge Marls, Palaeogene of the Isle of Wight, southern England. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Geology, 33 (4), 237–293.
  14. Jepson, J.E. (2015) A review of the current state of knowledge of fossil Mantispidae (Insecta: Neuroptera). Zootaxa, 3964 (4), 419–432. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3964.4.2
  15. Jepson, J.E., Khramov, A.V. & Ohl, M. (2018a) New Mesomantispinae (Insecta: Neuroptera: Mantispidae) from the Jurassic of Karatau, Kazakhstan. Zootaxa, 4402 (3), 563–574. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4402.3.9
  16. Jepson, J.E., Khramov, A.V. & Ohl, M. (2018b) A substitute name for a genus of fossil mantispid (Insecta: Neuroptera: Mesomantispinae) from the Jurassic of Kazakhstan. Zootaxa, 4455 (2), 400. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4455.2.10
  17. Jepson, J.E. & Ohl, M. (2019) Mesozoic Mantispidae: A review of the current state of knowledge. In: Weihrauch, F., Frank, O., Gruppe, A.V., Jepson, J.E., Kirschey, L. & Ohl, M. (Eds), Proceedings of the XIII International Symposium on Neuropterology. Osmylus Scientific Publishers, Wolnzach, pp. 233–240.
  18. Jouault, C., Pouillon, J.M. & Nel, A. (2022) Beautiful wing coloration pattern in a new doratomantispine species (Neuroptera: Mantispidae) from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Zootaxa, 5100 (3), 390–400. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5100.3.4
  19. Khramov, A.V. (2013) New mantidflies (Neuroptera: Mantispidae) from the Upper Jurassic of Kazakhstan. Insect Systematics & Evolution, 44 (2), 221–230. https://doi.org/10.1163/1876312X-44032094
  20. Krüger, L. (1922) Hemerobiidae. Beiträge zu einer Monographie der Neuropteren-Familie der Hemerobiiden. Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung, 83, 138–172.
  21. Lai, Y., Du, S.Y., Li, H.Y., Zheng, Y.C., Ardila-Camacho, A., Aspöck, U., Aspöck, H., Yang, D., Zhang, F. & Liu, X.Y. (2025) Lacewing-specific Universal Single Copy Orthologs designed towards resolution of backbone phylogeny of Neuropterida. Systematic Entomology, 50, 309–324. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12657
  22. Lambkin, K.J. (1986) A revision of the Australian Mantispidae (Insecta Neuroptera) with a contribution to the classification of the family I. General and Drepanicinae. Australian Journal of Zoology, Supplementary Series, 116, 1–142. https://doi.org/10.1071/AJZS116
  23. Leach, W.E. (1815) Entomology. In: Brewster, D. (Ed.), Edinburgh Encyclopaedia. Vol. 9, part 1. William Blackwood, Edinburgh, pp. 57–172.
  24. Li, H.Y., Wu, C., Ohl, M. & Liu, X.Y. (2020) A new sexually dimorphic mantidfly species of Allomantispa Liu et al., 2015 from China (Neuroptera: Mantispidae). Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology, 23 (4), 988–1002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aspen.2020.08.009
  25. Li, H.Y., Zhuo, D., Cao, L.R., Wang, B., Poinar, G., Ohl, M. & Liu, X.Y. (2022) New Cretaceous fossil mantispids highlight the palaeodiversity of the extinct subfamily Doratomantispinae (Neuroptera: Mantispidae). Organisms Diversity & Evolution, 22, 681–730. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-022-00546-y
  26. Li, H.Y., Zhuo, D., Wang, B., Nakamine, H., Yamamoto, S., Zhang, W.W., Jepson, J.E., Ohl, M., Aspöck, U., Aspöck, H., Nyunt, T.T., Engel, M.S., Benton, M.J., Donoghue, P. & Liu, X.Y. (2025) A double-edged sword: Evolutionary novelty along deep-time diversity oscillation in an iconic group of predatory insects (Neuroptera: Mantispoidea). Systematic Biology, 74 (3), 395–420. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syae068
  27. Li, H.Y., Zhuo, D., Wang, B., Nakamine, H., Yamamoto, S., Zhang, W.W., Ling, J.N., Ohl, M., Aspöck, U., Aspöck, H. & Liu, X.Y. (2023) New genera and species of Mantispoidea (Insecta, Neuroptera) from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, northern Myanmar. Palaeoentomology, 6 (6), 549–611. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.6.6.1
  28. Linnaeus, C. (1758) Systema naturae per regna tria naturae secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. 10th edition, Vol. 1. Salvii, Holmiae, 824 pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.542
  29. Liu, X.Y., Winterton, S.L., Wu, C., Piper, R. & Ohl, M. (2015) A new genus of mantidflies discovered in the Oriental region, with a higher-level phylogeny of Mantispidae (Neuroptera) using DNA sequences and morphology. Systematic Entomology, 40 (1), 183–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12096
  30. Lu, X.M., Wang, B., Zhang, W.W., Ohl, M., Engel, M.S. & Liu, X.Y. (2020) Cretaceous diversity and disparity in a lacewing lineage of predators (Neuroptera: Mantispidae). Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 287, 20200629. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.0629
  31. Makarkin, V.N. (1990) New lacewings (Neuroptera) from the Upper Cretaceous of Asia. In: Akimov, I.A. (Ed.), News of faunistics and systematics. Naukova Dumka, Kiev, pp. 63–68. [In Russian]
  32. Makarkin, V.N. (1997a) Fossil Neuroptera of the Lower Cretaceous of Baisa, East Siberia. Part 5. Mantispidae. Russian Entomological Journal, 5 (1-4) (for 1996), 91–93.
  33. Makarkin, V.N. (1997b) Fossil Neuroptera of the Lower Cretaceous of Baisa, East Siberia. Part 3. Chrysopidae. Spixiana, 20 (2), 107–118.
  34. Makarkin, V.N. (2019) The first mantidfly (Neuroptera: Mantispidae) from the early Eocene Green River Formation. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 60 (2), 111–119. https://doi.org/10.3374/014.060.0202
  35. Makarkin, V.N. (2023) Fossil Hemerobiidae (Neuroptera) from the Eocene Tadushi Formation, the Russian Far East, with description of a new genus. Zootaxa, 5297 (1), 115–123. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5297.1.6
  36. Makarkin, V.N. & Ohl, M. (2015) An important new fossil genus of Berothinae (Neuroptera: Berothidae) from Baltic amber. Zootaxa, 3946 (3), 401–415. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3946.3.7
  37. Makarkin, V.N. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2026) A new remarkable genus and species of Mantispidae (Neuroptera) from the earliest Eocene of Denmark. Zootaxa, 5785 (3), 587–595. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5785.3.11
  38. Makarkin, V.N., Nielsen, C. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2025a) A further new genus of Drepanicinae (Neuroptera: Mantispidae) from the earliest Eocene Fur Formation, Denmark. Zootaxa, 5696 (3), 444–450. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5696.3.9
  39. Makarkin, V.N., Perkovsky, E.E. & Nielsen, C. (2025b) A new genus of Drepanicinae (Neuroptera: Mantispidae) from the early Eocene Fur Formation, Denmark. Zootaxa, 5570 (3), 583–590. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5570.3.9
  40. Martins-Neto, R.G. (1994) Neurópteros (Insecta, Planipennia) da Formação Santana (Cretáceo Inferior), Bacia do Araripe, nordeste do Brasil—IX—Primeiros resultados da composição da fauna e descrição de novos táxons. Acta Geológica Leopoldensia, 17 (39/1), 269–288.
  41. Nel, A. (1989) Deux nouveaux Mantispidae (Planipennia) fossiles de l’Oligocène du sud-est de la France. Neuroptera International, 5 (2), 103–109.
  42. Nel, A. & Henrotay, M. (1994) Les Chrysopidae mésozoïques. État actuel des connaissances. Description d’un nouveau genre et nouvelle espèce dans le Jurassique inférieur (Lias) (Insecta: Neuroptera). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France (N.S.), 30 (3), 293–318. https://doi.org/10.1080/21686351.1994.12277709
  43. Nel, A., Delclòs, X. & Hutin, A. (2005) Mesozoic chrysopid-like Planipennia: a phylogenetic approach (Insecta: Neuroptera). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France (N.S.), 41 (1), 29–68.
  44. Ohl, M. (2004) Annotated catalog of the Mantispidae of the world (Neuroptera). Contributions on Entomology, International, 5, ii + 131–262.
  45. Oswald, J.D. & Machado, R.J.P. (2018) Biodiversity of the Neuropterida (Insecta: Neuroptera, Megaloptera, and Raphidioptera). In: Foottit, R.G. & Adler, P.H. (Eds), Insect biodiversity: Science and society. Vol. 2. John Wiley & Sons Ltd., Oxford, pp. 627–671. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118945582.ch21
  46. Panfilov, D.V. (1980) New representatives of lacewings (Neuroptera) from the Jurassic of Karatau. In: Dolin, V.G., Panfilov, D.V., Ponomarenko, A.G. & Pritykina, L.N. (Eds), Fossil insects of the Mesozoic. Naukova Dumka, Kiev, pp. 82–111. [In Russian]
  47. Pérez-de la Fuente, R. & Peñalver, E. (2019) A mantidfly in Cretaceous Spanish amber provides insights into the evolution of integumentary specialisations on the raptorial foreleg. Scientific Reports, 9, 13248. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-49398-1
  48. Pérez-de la Fuente, R., Delclòs, X., Peñalver, E., Speranza, M., Wierzchos, J., Ascaso, C. & Engel, M.S. (2012) Early evolution and ecology of camouflage in insects. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109 (52), 21414–21419. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1213775110
  49. Poinar, G.O., Jr. (2006) Feroseta priscus (Neuroptera: Mantispidae), a new genus and species of mantidflies in Dominican amber. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 108 (2), 411–417.
  50. Poinar, G., Jr. & Buckley, R. (2011) Doratomantispa burmanica n. gen., n. sp. (Neuroptera: Mantispidae), a new genus of mantidflies in Burmese amber. Historical Biology, 23 (2-3), 169–176. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2010.505024
  51. Redborg, K.E. & MacLeod, E.G. (1985) The developmental ecology of Mantispa uhleri Banks (Neuroptera: Mantispidae). Illinois Biological Monographs, 53, 1–156. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.49908
  52. Shi, C.F., Yang, Q., Deng, C.S., Pang, H. & Ren, D. (2019) New species of Doratomantispa from the mid-Cretaceous of northern Myanmar (Insecta, Neuroptera, Mantispidae). Palaeoentomology, 2 (5), 446–452. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.2.5.8
  53. Shi, C.F., Yang, Q., Shih, C.K., Labandeira, C.C., Pang, H. & Ren, D. (2020) Cretaceous mantid lacewings with specialized raptorial forelegs illuminate modification of prey capture (Insecta: Neuroptera). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 190 (3), 1054–1070. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa096
  54. So, K.S. & Won, C.G. (2022) A new fossil mantis fly (Insecta: Neuroptera: Mantispidae) from the Lower Cretaceous of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Cretaceous Research, 135, 105175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105175
  55. Vasilikopoulos, A., Misof, B., Meusemann, K., Lieberz, D., Flouri, T., Beutel, R.G., Niehuis, O., Wappler, T., Rust, J., Peters, R.S., Donath, A., Podsiadlowski, L., Mayer, C., Bartel, D., Böhm, A., Liu, S.L., Kapli, P., Greve, C., Jepson, J.E., Liu, X.Y., Zhou, X., Aspöck, H. & Aspöck, U. (2020) An integrative phylogenomic approach to elucidate the evolutionary history and divergence times of Neuropterida (Insecta: Holometabola). BMC Evolutionary Biology, 20, 64. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-020-01631-6
  56. Wedmann, S. & Makarkin, V.N. (2007) A new genus of Mantispidae (Insecta: Neuroptera) from the Eocene of Germany, with a review of the fossil record and palaeobiogeography of the family. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 149, 701–716. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2007.00273.x
  57. Willmann, R. (1993) Insekten aus der Fur-Formation von Dänemark (Moler, ob. Paleozän / unt. Eozän?). 8. Zwei neue Vertreter der Chrysopidae (Neuroptera). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte, 1993 (4), 239–245. https://doi.org/10.1127/njgpm/1993/1993/239
  58. Xiang, X.Z., Chen, P.C., Ren, D., Yang, Q. & Shi, C.F. (2026) New fossil lacewings give new insight into the diversity of Mantispidae (Insecta: Neuroptera) from the mid-Cretaceous amber. Life, 16 (4), 625. https://doi.org/10.3390/life16040625
  59. Yang, Q., Makarkin, V.N. & Ren, D. (2012) New fossil Mesochrysopidae (Neuroptera) from the Mesozoic of China. Zootaxa, 3597 (1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3597.1.1