221 



.STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN NEUHOPTEHA. 



Nu.;3. The Wing-venation of the Chrysopidj^,. 



By R. J. TiLLYARD, M.A., B.Sc, F.L.S., F.E.8, Linnean 

 Macleay Felloav of the Society in Zoology. 



[Plates X., x. />/.s (Transpai-ency), xi.; and eight Text-figures.] 



Next to the Mi/rmfi/r<iiUid(e, whose wing- venation 1 have dealt 

 with in No.l of this series of Studies,* the most striking and 

 dominant group of Planipennia is undoubtedly the family Chry- 

 sopidri'. The ty})e-genus (Jhri/Hopd is represented by a large 

 number <»f species throughout all parts of the world, which are 

 known to Engli.sh-.speaking naturalists as "Green Lacewings," 

 "Golden Eyes," or "Stink-tiies" — the last name on account of 

 the abominable odour which a number of the species give out. 

 These nmnerous species are all \'ery closely related, and are often 

 only U) be distinguished by small but constant differences in the 

 wing-venation. Thus, on the one hand, the genus Chri/mp(t has 

 all the marks of l)eing a fairly recent, highly si)ecialised, and 

 dominant genus (and hence on(" In which specialisations in the 

 wing-venation might reasonably be looked for); while, on the 

 other hand, the very importance of the venation in the study of 

 the genus demands that slipshod and haphazard ideas of the 

 wing-structure ought to cease, and give place to a .system based 

 on sound homologies. 



Those workers who have been busy during the last ten years 

 or so, adding lunuerous species of (Jhrjixopidtf to the list, all 

 appear to have been content to regard the wing-venation in this 

 family as easy of interpretation along typical Neuropterous lines, 

 l.i\, they recognised, without any nuestioning, a radial sector with 

 a number of branches, two series of gradate veins, a straight 



* These Proceedings, 1915, xl., Part 4, pp.734-752. 



