Venustoraphidia H. Aspoeck & U. Aspoeck , 1968

Aspoeck, Horst & Aspoeck, Ulrike, 2023, The snakeflies of the Mediterranean islands: review and biogeographical analysis (Neuropterida, Raphidioptera), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 70 (1), pp. 175-218 : 175

Venustoraphidia H. Aspoeck & U. Aspoeck, 1968

Venustoraphidia H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck, 1968 (odescr) (described as a subgenus of Raphidia L.) [type species by original designation: Raphidia nigricollis Albarda, 1891]: H. Aspöck et al. 1991 (mon); H. Aspöck et al. 1989 (biogeogr, distr, ill: distrmap); Oswald and Penny 1991 (cat, nom); H. Aspöck et al. 2001 (anncat); H. Aspöck 2002 (biol, paras); Haring et al. 2011 (phyl); H. Aspöck 2012 (cat); H. Aspöck and U. Aspöck 2013 (cat, etymol), 2014 (cat); Monserrat and Papenberg 2012, 2015 (mon).

Taxonomy and systematics.

H. Aspöck et al. (1991), Haring et al. (2011), Monserrat and Papenberg (2012, 2015). The genus is markedly differentiated by morphological characters of adults and larvae and also by molecular phylogeny. It has emerged as the sister group of ( Puncha + Calabroraphidia ) + Xanthostigma . Venustoraphidia comprises Subilla three geographically vicariant species.

Biology and ecology.

Larvae corticolous on a great variety of deciduous and coniferous trees. Development usually two years. Last hibernation stage: full-grown larva. Adults: (EIV)V-VI(BVII).

Distribution.

Apennine Peninsula, Balkan Peninsula, northern part of Iberian Peninsula, Central and Eastern Europe.