Nenroptera 333 



feign death or remain immobile for a time and their color blends per- 

 fectly with the sand. 



Since many of the ant-lions are known to overwinter as larvae, they 

 may be collected in the late summer or fall and allowed to form pits in 

 pans of sand. When half grown or larger they will survive several weeks 

 to four or five months without food. The pans of sand may be kept 

 in a greenhouse and the larvae fed on sow bugs which abound under pots 

 or in other places in greenhouses. Any kind of insect is accepted unless 

 too large or active to be subdued by the larvae. 



The overwintering ant-lions complete their development in the spring 

 and spin their cocoons during May, June, and July (Smith, 1934). 

 Large, nearly grown larvae may be collected in the spring and raised 

 with little effort. The writer has used a self-feeding device with fair 

 results. A small receptacle filled with a sugar solution or diluted 

 molasses is set on the sand in the pan. Some of the solution is poured 

 around the pan and on the sides of the pan to attract ants. Eventually 

 they come and, in attempting to reach the syrup receptacle among the 

 pits, many of the ants drop into the pits. Usually it is necessary to 

 supplement this method with other feeding, however. 



The non-pit-forming species may be collected under stones, sticks, 

 and sometimes under loose soil or dust (Wheeler, 1930). Since there is 

 little or no external evidence of their presence, their discovery is largely 

 accidental. The writer has been unsuccessful in rearing mid-western 

 non-pit-forming ant-lions. 



Cocoons of ant-lions should be placed in some sort of cage provided 

 with vegetation upon which the emerging adults may cling to shed the 

 pupal molts and spread their wings. Unless this is done a large percentage 

 of reared adults will be imperfect. 



MANTISPIDAE 



Eggs have been obtained on several occasions by the hundreds and 

 even thousands by confining gravid mantispid females in bottles and 

 jars. The eggs were laid on the cloth tops or, less commonly, on 

 vegetation and sides of the bottles. The young larvae have refused to 

 eat any insects offered or to enter spider egg sacs. The writer has never 

 reared these insects to adults. The mantispid adults eat small insects 

 readily in confinement and live for a week or two. 



Pupae and cocoons have been taken in the nests of a spider {Philaeus 

 militaris) during October (Smith, 1934). No doubt they might be 

 taken during the early spring in spider egg sacs and nests on shrubs, 

 weeds, and under stones up to early May in the mid-west. The adults 

 are ordinarily first taken in May. 



