88 ELEMENTARY LESSONS ON INSECTS 



When the larva is fully grown, it spins a spherical, tight- 

 fitting cocoon of white silk about itself on the underside of 

 some leaf and transforms therein to a pupa. This pupa also 

 has big horny, free mandibles. When matured it lifts a 

 circular lid in one side of the cocoon, pushes out, clambers to 

 a favorable position on a leaf and casts its pupal skin, and 

 becomes the beautiful aerial lace-wing. 



There is great diversity of form and size and appearance 

 among the different members of this remarkable order, as 

 may be learned by consulting any of the larger textbooks 

 of entomology. We shall content ourselves here with a brief 

 outline for a study of three outstanding types represented by 

 the green lace-wing, the ant-lion and the orl fly. 



LESSON 8 



Lace-wing, Ant-lion and Orl Fly 



WORK PROGRAM 



1 . Collect adult lace-wings at lights, or 



2. Collect adults and larvae by sweeping vegetation. 



3. Collect cocoons and eggs with the leaves on which they 

 are found. 



4. Cage an aphid colony for demonstration with living 

 aphis lions. 



5. Collect adult ant-lions when they fly to lights at night. 



6. Collect living ant-lion larvae from their pitfalls in the 

 sand by sifting. 



