Kingdom Animalia Phylum Arthropoda Order Neuroptera | Class Insecta Rank Family | |
Similar Neuroptera, Sisyridae, Dilaridae, Osmylidae, Ithonidae | ||
The Nevrorthidae, often incorrectly spelled "Neurorthidae", are a small family of winged insects of the order Neuroptera. Extant species may be described as living fossils.
They were at one time placed in the Osmyloidea, with the Osmylidae and the spongillaflies (Sisyridae) as their closest relatives, but nowadays they are considered to be the most ancient lineage of living lacewings. Sometimes they are placed in a suborder Nevrorthiformia, but the quite basal position of the family is probably better expressed by placing them directly in the Neuroptera, without assigning the subordinal rank.
Apart from the mere three living genera, the fossil Rophalis from the Eocene and Cretarophalis from the Cretaceous (Albian–Cenomanian) have been described.