Neuropteran (Insecta) palaeodiversity with predictions for the Cretaceous fauna of the Wealden

The Wealden Group of southern England is a succession of non-marine sediments from the lower Cretaceous (c. 141–119 Ma), which also outcrop in Belgium and northwest Germany. Most insect orders are present as fossils, including Neuroptera, one of the most basal holometabolous orders. The fossil record of Neuroptera is diverse, spanning Permian–Recent, with all major family radiations having occurred prior to the Wealden. However, Wealden Neuroptera have received little attention to date, with only three families reported and one species described. The fossil record in general is notoriously incomplete, and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions can facilitate predictions of what other organisms were present in the habitat, but which were either not preserved or only occasionally preserved and yet to be found as fossils. We examine the Wealden palaeohabitat and global neuropteran palaeodiversity and consider these in relation to palaeo/biogeography of fossil and extant taxa (including habitat preferences). We predict that the following families will form components of the Cretaceous Wealden fauna: Nymphidae, Polystoechotidae, Chrysopidae, Hemerobiidae and Coniopterygidae.