Families of Raphidioptera of British Columbia

FAMILIES OF RAPHIDIOPTERA OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Key to families

1.	Head with ocelli; forewing with pterostigma bisected by a veinlet	Raphidiidae
-	Head without ocelli; forewing with pterostigma not bisected by a veinlet	Inocelliidae

Description of families

Family Inocelliidae (Inocelliid snakeflies) (Fig. 3)

Typical snakeflies without ocelli. The antennal segments are cylindrical, and the pterostigma of the forewing is dark and thick, and not bisected by a veinlet.

Worldwide there are two genera and 25 species. Only one genus Negha, with three species occurs in North America. There is only one species Negha longicornis (Albardi) in Canada, confined to British Columbia, and occurring only in the southern interior. It is relatively rare.

Family Raphidiidae (Raphidiid snakeflies) (Fig. 4)

Typical snakeflies with ocelli. The antennal segments have a basal constriction, and the pterostigma of the forewing is bisected by a veinlet.

Worldwide there are three genera and 75 described species. Only the genus Agulla, with 17 species, occurs in North America. Seven species occur in Canada, all of which occur in British Columbia, with three species, namely Agulla adnixa (Hagen), A. assimilis (Albarda), and A. herbst (Esben-Petersen) also known from Alberta. Agulla adnixa is the commonest species in British Columbia, reported from Vancouver Island, the lower mainland, and the whole of the southern interior. Agulla bicolor (Albarda) is confined to the South Okanagan, while A. crotchi Banks is rare, and recorded only from Summerland. Agulla assimilis and A. herbst occur on Vancouver Island and in the southern interior, while A. unicolor Carpenter seems to be confined to the latter.