Insects 145 



antennae, were discovered in 1907, in Italy. They are now 

 known to be widely distributed, and probably will be found in 

 Colorado. 



Isoptera or White-ants 



The name "White-ant" is a misnomer, as the insects are not 

 ants, and are frequently not white. It is better to call them Term- 

 ites, but the popular name cannot be abolished. A small species 

 is common along the eastern foothills in Colorado. It is the 

 Reticulitermes tibialis of Banks, formerly confused with R. flavipes 

 of the Eastern States. The winged form is deep black. In the 

 shales at Florissant we find several much larger fossil species, 

 indicating a warmer climate in past times. 



Neuroptera and Associated Insects 



The order Neuroptera was formerly made to include many 

 diverse insects, even the dragon-flies (Odonata). We now know 

 that these should be distributed in several orders, but unfortu- 

 nately authors do not exactly agree about their names. The 

 Neuroptera in the more restricted sense include the Ant-lions 

 (Myrmeleonidae), Lacewing flies (Chrysopidae) and several other 

 groups. The ant-lions live as larvae in a circular excavation 

 like a broad inverted cone, which they make in sandy places. 

 When an insect comes along, they throw up sand in order to 

 make it stumble and fall in the pit, when it is devoured. The 

 adults look much like dragon-flies, but have conspicuous antennae. 

 The green lacewings (Chrysopa) are very pretty little insects 

 with gauzy wings and golden eyes. They lay their eggs in groups 

 on long stalks, usually on the surface of leaves, and the larvae 

 are very important enemies of plant-lice. We have collected 

 about six species in Colorado, one of the commoner ones being 

 C. nigricornis Burmeister, which has some of the cross-veins on 

 the wings black or dark. 



The Plecoptera or Stone-flies are common, the larvae living 

 in streams. For some unexplained reason, we find no trace of 

 them in the Florissant shales. The Ephemerida or May-flies 

 also breed in water; the larvae may usually be recognized by the 

 three tails. The adults have the hind wings small or in some 



