Featherflies are a group of small flying insects characterised by wings covered in fine, feather-like structures. Across the group the wings display a subtle shimmer produced by structural coloration, and most species undergo incomplete metamorphosis (hemimetabolous development): they hatch from tiny eggs into wingless nymphs that resemble miniature adults and grow by a series of molts. Featherflies occupy a variety of habitats (plains, coastal zones, highlands, woodlands and sun-exposed sites) and fulfil ecological roles ranging from nectar-feeding pollinators to unusual omnivores.

Etymology

Unknown.

Distribution

Featherflies occupy diverse habitats across continental regions: coastal and beach zones, midland plains associated with grasses, humid riverbanks and wetlands, cold highlands and alpine meadows, tree trunks and cavities in forests, and sun-exposed open areas where communal nests may be built. Each subspecies shows habitat specialization that matches its morphology and life history.

Morphology

All featherflies have wings clothed in elongated filamentous scales or setae that may extend past the wing margin, a faint structural shimmer on wing surfaces, relatively short antennae, and legs with dense microhairs used for sensing and handling food. They develop by incomplete metamorphosis: small white eggs hatch into wingless nymphs that resemble adults and gain functional wings only after successive molts, and many taxa show reduced antennal reliance in favor of sensory forelegs.
The hallmark feathery wings can function in passive pollen collection, mate signalling and fine aerodynamic control; some taxa have extremely plume-like wings while others have short, maneuverable microwings. Bodies are often compact and covered in microhairs, coloration varies from pure white to nearly black, and mouthparts are typically adapted for liquid feeding, with specialized modifications in taxa that process stored or unusual foods or that secrete wood-dissolving enzymes.

Behaviour

Most featherflies are nectarivores and effective pollinators because their plumose wings and pollen-handling legs transfer pollen between flowers, but behaviour ranges widely: some species are solitary and arboreal, some form small cooperative nests that store substances, and one noted taxon uses a light-driven jelly (sungel) to attract and subdue small prey and is partially carnivorous. Anti-predator strategies include chemical defences and venom in certain taxa, cryptic coloration, rapid shedding of detachable structures, and dense microhairs that deter small predators.

Life Cycle

Eggs are small and white and may be deposited on vegetation, in nests, or within stored matrices such as sungel; some enter dormancy over cold months. Nymphs hatch wingless and undergo several instars while feeding in the same habitats as adults, and adults attain full feathered wings only at the final molt. Adult lifespans vary by taxon from a few months in seasonal species to around six months in longer-lived, slow-metabolism forms, and reproductive timing is often closely tied to local floral phenology and seasonal cues.