Boreidae, commonly called snow scorpionflies, or in the British Isles, snow fleas (no relation to the snow flea Hypogastrura nivicola) are a very small family of scorpionflies, containing only around 30 species, all of which are boreal or high-altitude species in the Northern Hemisphere.
These insects are small (typically 6 mm or less), with the wings reduced to bristles or absent, and they are somewhat compressed, so in fact some resemblance to fleas is noted. They are most commonly active during the winter months, towards the transition into spring, and the larvae and adults typically feed on mosses. The adults will often disperse between breeding areas by walking across the open snow, thus the common name. The males use their bristle-like wings to help grasp the female over their backs while mating, while the wings of females are vestigial small oval pads with no ability to allow them to fly. The adults have a long rostrum formed from the clypeus and labrum, genae, and maxillo-labium.
The body temperature, and therefore activity level, of this scorpionfly depends on its absorption of short-wave and long-wave radiation rather than surrounding air temperatures (by which it is completely unaffected). The boundary layer of snow that the insect occupies has very low thermal conductance, and so the insect loses its own heat very slowly here. This delicate balance between cold and heat means that the animal is easily killed by heat when held in a human hand.[1]
The group has been proposed in some studies to be the closest relatives of fleas (Siphonaptera), rendering Mecoptera paraphyletic. This has been disputed by other studies, which find Nannochoristidae more closely related to fleas instead.[2]
It is unclear as of 2020 whether the Mecoptera form a single clade, or whether the Siphonaptera (fleas) are inside that clade, so that the traditional "Mecoptera" is paraphyletic. However the earlier suggestion that the Siphonaptera are sister to the Boreidae[3][4][5] is not supported. The two possible trees are shown below:[6]
This list is adapted from the World Checklist of extant Mecoptera species,[7] and is complete as of 1997. The number of species in each genus is indicated in parentheses.
Boreus (24) Latreille, 1816 (North America, Europe, Asia)
^Daniel Marlos (2010-10-05). The Curious World of Bugs: The Bugman's Guide to the Mysterious and Remarkable Lives of Things That Crawl. Penguin Publishing Group. p. 218. ISBN978-1-101-44406-1.
^Tihelka, Erik; Giacomelli, Mattia; Huang, Di-Ying; Pisani, Davide; Donoghue, Philip C. J.; Cai, Chen-Yang (2020-12-21). "Fleas are parasitic scorpionflies". Palaeoentomology. 3 (6): 641–653–641–653. doi:10.11646/palaeoentomology.3.6.16. hdl:1983/8d3c12c6-529c-4754-b59d-3abf88a32fc9. ISSN 2624-2834. S2CID 234423213.
^Whiting, Michael F.; Whiting, Alison S.; Hastriter, Michael W.; Dittmar, Katharina (2008). "A molecular phylogeny of fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera): origins and host associations". Cladistics. 24 (5): 677–707. CiteSeerX10.1.1.731.5211. doi:10.1111/j.1096-0031.2008.00211.x. S2CID 33808144.
^Whiting, Michael F. (2002). "Mecoptera is paraphyletic: multiple genes and phylogeny of Mecoptera and Siphonaptera". Zoologica Scripta. 31 (1): 93–104. doi:10.1046/j.0300-3256.2001.00095.x. S2CID 56100681. Archived from the original on 2013-01-05.
^Wiegmann, Brian; Yeates, David K. (2012). The Evolutionary Biology of Flies. Columbia University Press. p. 5. ISBN978-0-231-50170-5. Recently, a close affinity between Siphonaptera and Mecoptera has been convincingly demonstrated via morphology (Bilinski et al. 1998) and molecular data (Whiting 2002), rendering Mecoptera paraphyletic, but making the clade including Mecoptera and Siphonaptera monophyletic
^ abcMeusemann, Karen; Trautwein, Michelle; Friedrich, Frank; Beutel, Rolf G.; Wiegmann, Brian M.; et al. (2020). "Are Fleas Highly Modified Mecoptera? Phylogenomic Resolution of Antliophora (Insecta: Holometabola)". bioRxiv10.1101/2020.11.19.390666.
^Sikes, Derek; Jill Stockbridge (July 11, 2013). "Description of Caurinus tlagu, new species, from Prince of Wales Island, Alaska (Mecoptera, Boreidae, Caurininae)". ZooKeys (316): 35–53. doi:10.3897/zookeys.316.5400. PMC3713333. PMID 23878513.
January 01, 1970
snow, scorpionfly, boreidae, commonly, called, snow, scorpionflies, british, isles, snow, fleas, relation, snow, flea, hypogastrura, nivicola, very, small, family, scorpionflies, containing, only, around, species, which, boreal, high, altitude, species, northe. Boreidae commonly called snow scorpionflies or in the British Isles snow fleas no relation to the snow flea Hypogastrura nivicola are a very small family of scorpionflies containing only around 30 species all of which are boreal or high altitude species in the Northern Hemisphere Snow scorpionfly Boreus hyemalis Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Arthropoda Class Insecta Order Mecoptera Family Boreidae Genera Boreus Caurinus Hesperoboreus These insects are small typically 6 mm or less with the wings reduced to bristles or absent and they are somewhat compressed so in fact some resemblance to fleas is noted They are most commonly active during the winter months towards the transition into spring and the larvae and adults typically feed on mosses The adults will often disperse between breeding areas by walking across the open snow thus the common name The males use their bristle like wings to help grasp the female over their backs while mating while the wings of females are vestigial small oval pads with no ability to allow them to fly The adults have a long rostrum formed from the clypeus and labrum genae and maxillo labium The body temperature and therefore activity level of this scorpionfly depends on its absorption of short wave and long wave radiation rather than surrounding air temperatures by which it is completely unaffected The boundary layer of snow that the insect occupies has very low thermal conductance and so the insect loses its own heat very slowly here This delicate balance between cold and heat means that the animal is easily killed by heat when held in a human hand 1 The group has been proposed in some studies to be the closest relatives of fleas Siphonaptera rendering Mecoptera paraphyletic This has been disputed by other studies which find Nannochoristidae more closely related to fleas instead 2 Contents 1 Phylogeny 2 Genera 3 See also 4 ReferencesPhylogeny editIt is unclear as of 2020 whether the Mecoptera form a single clade or whether the Siphonaptera fleas are inside that clade so that the traditional Mecoptera is paraphyletic However the earlier suggestion that the Siphonaptera are sister to the Boreidae 3 4 5 is not supported The two possible trees are shown below 6 a Mecoptera is paraphyletic Boreidae is sister to Nannochoristidae Siphonaptera 6 Antliophora Diptera true flies nbsp Pistillifera scorpionflies hangingflies 400 spp nbsp Nannochoristidae southern scorpionflies 8 spp Siphonaptera fleas 2500 spp nbsp Boreidae snow scorpionflies 30 spp nbsp b Mecoptera is monophyletic Boreidae is sister to Pistillifera 6 Antliophora Mecoptera Pistillifera scorpionflies hangingflies 400 spp nbsp Boreidae snow scorpionflies 30 spp nbsp Nannochoristidae southern scorpionflies 8 spp Siphonaptera fleas 2500 spp nbsp Genera editThis list is adapted from the World Checklist of extant Mecoptera species 7 and is complete as of 1997 The number of species in each genus is indicated in parentheses Boreus 24 Latreille 1816 North America Europe Asia Boreus hyemalis also called the snow flea Caurinus 2 Russell 1979 Oregon Alaska 8 Hesperoboreus 2 Penny 1977 United States See also editGlacier flea Snow flies genus Chionea a convergent genus of wingless crane flies Apteropanorpidae another family of wingless scorpionfliesReferences edit Daniel Marlos 2010 10 05 The Curious World of Bugs The Bugman s Guide to the Mysterious and Remarkable Lives of Things That Crawl Penguin Publishing Group p 218 ISBN 978 1 101 44406 1 Tihelka Erik Giacomelli Mattia Huang Di Ying Pisani Davide Donoghue Philip C J Cai Chen Yang 2020 12 21 Fleas are parasitic scorpionflies Palaeoentomology 3 6 641 653 641 653 doi 10 11646 palaeoentomology 3 6 16 hdl 1983 8d3c12c6 529c 4754 b59d 3abf88a32fc9 ISSN 2624 2834 S2CID 234423213 Whiting Michael F Whiting Alison S Hastriter Michael W Dittmar Katharina 2008 A molecular phylogeny of fleas Insecta Siphonaptera origins and host associations Cladistics 24 5 677 707 CiteSeerX 10 1 1 731 5211 doi 10 1111 j 1096 0031 2008 00211 x S2CID 33808144 Whiting Michael F 2002 Mecoptera is paraphyletic multiple genes and phylogeny of Mecoptera and Siphonaptera Zoologica Scripta 31 1 93 104 doi 10 1046 j 0300 3256 2001 00095 x S2CID 56100681 Archived from the original on 2013 01 05 Wiegmann Brian Yeates David K 2012 The Evolutionary Biology of Flies Columbia University Press p 5 ISBN 978 0 231 50170 5 Recently a close affinity between Siphonaptera and Mecoptera has been convincingly demonstrated via morphology Bilinski et al 1998 and molecular data Whiting 2002 rendering Mecoptera paraphyletic but making the clade including Mecoptera and Siphonaptera monophyletic a b c Meusemann Karen Trautwein Michelle Friedrich Frank Beutel Rolf G Wiegmann Brian M et al 2020 Are Fleas Highly Modified Mecoptera Phylogenomic Resolution of Antliophora Insecta Holometabola bioRxiv 10 1101 2020 11 19 390666 Boreidae Archived 2004 01 11 at archive today Sikes Derek Jill Stockbridge July 11 2013 Description of Caurinus tlagu new species from Prince of Wales Island Alaska Mecoptera Boreidae Caurininae ZooKeys 316 35 53 doi 10 3897 zookeys 316 5400 PMC 3713333 PMID 23878513 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Snow scorpionfly amp oldid 1189617329, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
