SOUTHERN AFRICAN BIOMES AND THE EVOLUTION OF PALPARINI (INSECTA: NEUROPTERA: MYRMELEONTIDAE)

Southern Africa harbours 42 of the 88 known species of Palparini (Insecta: Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae). Twenty-nine of the 42 species are endemic to the western parts of the subre-gion, including Namibia, Botswana, the Western, Northern and Eastern Cape, and North-West Provinces of South Africa. Geographical Information Systems analyses and climate change models have been used to reveal possible reasons for the high diversity and levels of endemism of Palparini in southern Africa. The analyses have indicated that climate, and the consequent rich variety of vegetation and soil types, have been the driving forces behind southern Africa being a major evolutionary centre for palparines and other Neuroptera