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Neurostigmatidae

Neurostigma

Emilie Bess and Kevin P. Johnson
Containing group: Epipsocetae

Introduction

The genus Neurostigma is the only member of family Neurostigmatidae.  It includes 8 species known from Central and South America.

Characteristics

Synapomorphies

How to Know the Family

Family Monophyly

Monophyly of the genus Neurostigma is supported by three synapomorpic characters: two segmented tarsi, few setae on the wing veins, and the presence of a single anal vein (Eertmoed 1973).

Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships

There is some disagreement regarding whether genus Neurostigma is correctly placed alone in family Neurostigmatidae (Eertmoed 1973) or if it belongs in family Epipsocidae (Smithers 1972, Mockford 1998).  In a morphological analysis of superfamily Epipsocetae, Casasola-Gonzalez (2006) concluded that the genus probably belongs in Epipsocidae.  Neurostigma has not yet been included in a molecular study.

Other Names for Neurostigma

References

Casasola Gonzalez, J.A. 2006. Phylogenetic relationships of the genera of Epipsocetae (Psocoptera: Psocomorpha). Zootaxa 1194: 1-32.

Eertmoed, G.E. 1973. The phenetic relationships of the Epipsocetae (Psocoptera): the higher taxa and the species of two new families. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 99: 373–414.

Lienhard, C. and C. N Smithers. 2002. Psocoptera (Insecta) World Catalogue and Bibliography. Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, Geneva, Switzerland.

Mockford, E.L. 1998. Generic definitions and species assignments in the Family Epipsocidae (Psocoptera). Insecta Mundi: 12: 81-91.

Smithers, C.N. 1972. The classification and phylogeny of the Psocoptera. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 14: 1–349.

About This Page

Emilie Bess
Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA

Kevin P. Johnson
Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Emilie Bess at and Kevin P. Johnson at

All Rights Reserved.

Citing this page:

Bess, Emilie and Kevin P. Johnson. 2009. Neurostigmatidae. Neurostigma. Version 25 March 2009 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Neurostigma/30256/2009.03.25 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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