We present the first morphological study of the internal head structures of adults of the coniopterygid genus Aleuropteryx, which belong to the smallest known lacewings. The head is ventrally closed with a gula, which is unique in adult Neuroptera and otherwise developed in Megaloptera, the sister group of Neuroptera. The dorsal tentorial arms are directed posteriorly and fused, forming an arch that fulfills functions otherwise taken by the tentorial bridge. A newly found maxillary gland is present in both sexes. Several structural modifications correlated with miniaturization are recognized: a relative increase in the size of the brain, a reduction in the number of ommatidia and diameter of the facets, a countersunken cone-shaped ocular ridge, and a simplification of the tracheal system. The structure of the head differs strikingly from that of the previously studied species Coniopteryx pygmaea, indicating a greater variability in the family Coniopterygidae, which might be another effect of miniaturization.

中文翻译：

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小，但是我的天哪！成年Aleuropteryx spp的头部形态。和小型化的影响（昆虫纲：Neuroptera：Coniopterygidae）。

我们提出了对i翅目Aleuropteryx的成年人的内部头部结构的第一次形态学研究，属于已知的最小的草lace。头部由口腹封闭，该口鼻在成年Neuroptera中是独特的，否则在Neuroptera的姊妹群Megalopteroptera中发育。腱弓背臂向后定向并融合，形成一个弓形，该弓形实现了腱弓所承担的功能。男女均存在新发现的上颌腺。人们认识到与小型化相关的几种结构修饰：大脑大小的相对增加，小眼的数目和小面直径的减少，圆锥形的眼沉没以及气管系统的简化。