Nemoptera is a Palearctic

Palearctic

The Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of the eight ecozones dividing the Earth's surface.Physically, the Palearctic is the largest ecozone...

 genus of insect

Insect

Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...

s of the family Nemopteridae

Nemopteridae

Spoonwings or Nemopteridae are a family of neuropteran insects. They are also called Thread-winged Antlions. Their flight is delicate and they have a circling flight to avoid walls when they are trapped indoors...

 or spoonwings. All species are diurnal with an exclusively floral diet, preferring to fly in open spaces in full sunshine while visiting flowers. They can be recognized by their very long hind wing prolongations.

There are three species in Europe:

• Nemoptera bipennis
  Nemoptera bipennis
  Nemoptera bipennis is a species of insect in the family Nemopteridae or spoonwings. It is found in Spain, Portugal and France.Nemoptera bipennis lives in calcareous areas with low vegetation. These slow-flying insects end up often splattered on the windshields of cars in the summer.-External links:*...
  
  (Illiger, 1812), syn. Nemoptera lusitanica (Leach, 1815)
• Nemoptera coa (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Nemoptera sinuata Olivier, 1811

There are some non-European species that were formerly placed in this genus.

External links

• Taxonomicon - Genus Nemoptera