Vol. XXviii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 35 



Notes on the Feeding Habits of Adult Chrysopidae 



(Neur.). 



By L. BRADFORD RIPLEY, Dep't. of Entomology, University of 



Illinois, Champaign, 111. 



All of the statements that I have been able to find concerning 

 the feeding habits of adult Chrysopidae agree that "in the 

 adult stage the insects feed little, or not at all." 1 This quota- 

 tion, from Dr. J. B. Smith, refers to the genus Chrysopa. 

 Howard informs us similarly that the adult C. oculata "does 

 not feed," 2 and Wildermuth, in his recent paper on the Cali- 

 fornia Green Lacewing Fly, 3 states that "neither sex has ever 

 been noted by the writer to feed in the adult stage, even when 

 food was offered, and doubtless all of the lacewing flies take 

 little or no food in this period of their existence." 



In the summer of 1916, in Glastonbury, Connecticut, the 

 writer had occasion to keep in confinement many adults of C. 

 oculata for the purpose of procuring eggs for embryological 

 studies. The observation of these insects has afforded con- 

 clusive evidence contradicting this prevalent statement. 



A large scarlet aphid common in New England, on the 

 stems of Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata), having been ni- 

 troduced into the cage, the smaller specimens were vigorously 

 attacked by the chrysopids. The prey was grasped in the man- 

 dibles by the end of the abdomen, the juices sucked and the 

 skin completely eaten. One female, while under observation, 

 ate three aphids in rapid succession, but refused more food. 

 These adults also drank from drops of water. When apple 

 leaves were put in the cage, the insects ran over them rapidly, 

 with their heads almost touching the leaves, as if searching for 

 small insects or eggs. 



Adults of both sexes, soon after being collected, or a few 

 hours after feeding, \vere often observed to discharge black 

 pellets from the anus, which appeared to be animal matter, as 



1 John B. Smith, Sc.D., Economic Entomology, p. 74. 



2 L. O. Howard. Insects, p. 225. 



3 V. L. Wildermuth, California Green Lacewing Fly. Journal of 

 Agricultural Research, Vol. 6, No. 14, 1916. 



