Abstract

Nemopteridae are a small family of myrmeleontoid lacewings characterized by elongated ribbon- or thread-like hindwings. Extant Nemopteridae comprise two subfamilies, viz. Crocinae (thread-wings) and Nemopterinae (spoon- and ribbon-wings). They are distributed in all zoogeographical regions except the Nearctic region in the extant fauna. However, the major species diversity of Nemopteridae is confined to the southern part of Africa. The fossil record of the family is scarce, with five Lower Cretaceous fossils, one from the lowermost Cenomanian, two fossils from the Upper Eocene, and two from the Oligocene (Lu et al., 2019; Nel & Jarzembowski, 2019). Here we describe a new, nearly complete fossil from the Oligocene of Lubéron in France. It was found in the Konservat Lagerstätte of Céreste, in finely laminated lacustrine limestones. It is the only specimen of this family found in this outcrop, among more than 30000 fossil insects. Neuroptera are extremely rare in this outcrop; only one adult Ascalaphidae (Ascaloptynx oligocenicus Nel, 1991) and two Mantispidae (Prosagittalata oligocenica Nel, 1988 and an undescribed specimen) have been discovered there (Nel, 1988, 1991).