Order CORRODENTIA. 



This order is composed of a rather small number of soft-bodied insects 

 with a large head which, while it is not sunken into the prothorax, has 

 no distinct neck. The mouth parts are small, fitted for gnawing, which 

 gave rise to the ordinal term, meaning "gnawers." The antennae are long 

 and slender, and the wings when present are large and frail. Many are 

 wingless and some of these, occurring in houses, are known as book-lice, 

 because they gnaw the calendered surface of the paper. They are found, 

 usually, in dry, dusty places, feeding on starchy materials, and some- 

 times they attack museum specimens. They resemble lice in shape and 

 appearance, but run rapidly and have the posterior thighs much enlarged. 

 Cleanliness and naphthaline or carbolic acid are usually efficient agents in 

 getting rid of these species. 



The winged forms occur on the bark of trees overgrown with moss or 

 lichens, which serve as food for the insects. The venation of the wings 

 is very peculiar and tortuous, and as fliers the species are not remark- 

 ble, most of them preferring to drop to the ground when disturbed rather 

 than use their wings. They are not harmful in any way, though when 

 they occur in numbers sufficient to attract attention they are usually 

 looked upon with suspicion. 



No systematic collections in this order have been made in New Jersey, 

 although it is known that we- have a large number of species. The present 

 list, therefore, is a compilation from the catalogue of Neuropteroid in- 

 sects by Mr. Nathan Banks, and it includes those species of such general 

 distribution as to make it reasonably probable that they are members of 

 our fauna. It is certain that, when our species are once carefully studied, 

 they will be found to be materially more numerous than here recorded. 



Fig. 10. Psocus lincatus. This represents the forms usually found on tree trunks. 



Family PSOCID^E. 



Sub-family ATROPIN\. 



TROCTES Burm. 



T. divinatorius Mull. (Atropos) This or an allied species is common 

 in houses among books and papers or in dusty corners throughout 



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