NEUROPTERA. 



butterflies. In repose the wings are held down on each side, while the abdomen is 

 erect, or nearly so. 



Nothing is known of the habits of our American species, which are of very rare 

 occurrence, and of rather dull tints, compared with those of southern Europe, about 

 the shores of the Mediterranean. Even in Europe little is known of the habits, but 

 from what is recorded it appears probable that its transformations are like those of the 

 ant-lion, to which it bears a strong resemblance, though the hind body, or abdomen, is 

 flattened, and much wider, and it is a much larger insect. WestAvood tells us that the 

 eggs, when laid, are hedged around by little pales, like a fence, and are so placed that 

 nothing can approach the brood; nor can the young ramble abroad till they have 

 acquired strength to resist the ants and other insect enemies. On the other hand, 

 Roller observed the eggs of Ascalaphus macaronius deposited on a stem of grass. 



Our third family of true Neuroptera is the PANORPID^E. These forms have a 

 slender body, the head with a long beak, the prothorax small, and like a collar ; the 

 wings are but slightly net-veined, and the abdomen of the male ends in a forceps. 

 The larvaa are terrestrial, and resemble caterpillars in general appearance. The type 

 of this family is a four-winged fly, not uncommonly seen in damp places in summer, 

 which has a slender body, while the head is remarkably prolonged into a beak, at the 

 end of which are the mouth-parts. The antennas are filiform, and shorter than the 

 wings, the latter being weak, long, and narrow, with a few cross veins, and more or 

 less spotted. The prothorax is collar-like, and the thorax is rather deep, and somewhat 

 rounded. The species of Panorpa are called scorpion-flies, from the large forceps-like 

 apparatus at the end of the abdomen of the males, which resembles the tail, or sting 

 of a scorpion. 



These weak, defenceless flies are probably saved from extinction by birds, and 

 other enemies, by emitting a disagreeable odor. For example ; when disturbed, the 

 European species (Panorpa germanica^ or P. communis) 

 dart out a long, slender tube towards the disturbing object. 

 Through this tube a little drop of malodorous, whitish fluid 

 is forced, which is undoubtedly repugnant to its enemies. 

 Our common species are Panorpa rufescens and P. debilis. 



Nothing is known of the habits of our species, and we 

 are obliged to recur to the admirable account of Dr. Brauer, 



FIG. 235. Panorpa rufescens. 



of Vienna, concerning the European Panorpa communis. 



Four days after pairing the female lays a few eggs in a mass, situated in a shallow 

 hole, which she bores with her long abdomen in damp earth. In a few days afterwards 

 both males and females die. 



The male is polygamous. The eggs are rather large for so small an insect, and are 

 about half a line in length ; at first white, and afterwards dark brown. The larva 

 hatches in eight days from the time the eggs are deposited. They are at first one and 

 a half lines long, and grow very rapidly, becoming fully grown in thirty days, then 

 being seven lines in length. The body is thick, fleshy, cylindrical, much like a cater- 

 pillar ; the segments are full and convex, and beset with brown, horny warts, bearing 

 short bristles. On the last three segments are cylindrical tubercles, bearing long bris- 

 tles. But the point of most interest, and that which causes them to resemble cater- 

 pillars, is that besides the three pairs of jointed, horny feet there are eight pairs of 

 fleshy, ventral, or abdominal feet, which correspond to the abdominal, or prop-legs of 

 lepidopterous larvas, though no caterpillar is known to possess more than five pairs of 



VOL. II. 11 



