NEUROPTEBA PSOCDTA. 117 



Family PSOCINA Burmeister. 



Until now this irronp has been found fossil only in amber, but here in 

 considerable abundance, since several of the species are represented by 

 twenty, thirty, or even sixty individuals; and fifteen species are recognized, 

 about one -ninth the number of living species known, but nearly one-halt as 

 many as the species now living in Germany, according to the latest mono- 

 graph bv Kulbe. These fossil species are divided among ten genera as fol- 

 lows: Troctes. one; Sph;iTOpsocus, one; Empheria, two; Archipsocus, two; 

 Amphientomum, one ; Epipsocus, one; Caecilius, three; Philotarsus, two : 

 Psocus, one : Elipsocus, one. The genera Sphaeropsocus, Empheria, and 

 Archipsocus are peculiar to amber: the first mentioned, a most remarkable 

 form, has the front wings developed into the semblance of elytra. It is 

 worthy of note that, while in the existing fauna of Europe the groups to 

 which 1'socus and Elipsocus belong embrace about half the species, they 

 include only one-seventh the amber fauna. Hageii and Kolbe are at 

 variance on the interpretation of these facts. The single imperfect specimen 

 so far found in American deposits the only one indeed in any rock forma- 

 tion proves to belong to a distinct generic type, remarkable for the wide 

 separation of the ocelli. 



PAROPSOCUS gen. nov. (a-eipo?, Psocus). 



The single insect on which this new generic group is based is very 

 fragmentary, but seems to differ so clearly from other types of I'-ncina. 

 whether living or fossil, that it can only be recognized as distinct. The 

 head is broad, not including the eyes as broad as long, the nasus prominent, 

 very broadly convex, almost truncate ; the eyes are very large, very promi- 

 nent, globose, subpedicellate, being strongly constricted at base, widening 

 the head one-half; ocelli large, exceptionally distant, the outer p;,! 

 ocelli infringing on the margin of the eyes. Antenna:' with the first. 

 and third joints successively narrower by one-fourth, the first and second 

 broader than long, not large, the third joint four or five times as long as 

 broad, cylindrical, the remaining joints on the proximal third of the antennae 

 two or three times as long as broad, smallest at base, apically rounded. 

 Prothorax narrow, pedunculate, free, with its angulate apex overlapping 1 the 

 mesonotum, longer than broad. Mesothorax much broader than the total 



