THE SN^KE-FLIES 



(Family RaphidiidcB.) 



Insects of this family are rapacious foes of other insects, and 

 it is a pity that their geographic distribution in the United States 

 is so limited. They are found as a matter of f^ict practically only 

 on the Pacific Slope, although one species is recorded from Col- 

 orado and another from Arizona. 



They are insects of curious structure, the neck being very 

 long and the female bearing a long, curved ovipositor. The 

 larvae are found under the bark of trees, and Comstock says that 

 in California he has found them commonly under the loose bark 

 of the Eucalyptus. 



The codling moth or apple-worm has a habit of spinning its 

 cocoon under the loose bark of apple trees after it leaves the 

 fruit, and many of the codling moth larvas are destroyed by these 

 Raphidians. In Australia and Nev/ Zealand the codling moth is 

 a great scourge, and some years ago an attempt was made to 

 send living Raphidians from California to these English colonies 

 in the hope that they might become acclimated and assist fruit- 

 growers in their work against the codling moth. Nothing has 

 been heard from them, however, for several years, and the prob- 

 abilities are that the attempt was a failure. In England these 

 insects are known as snake-flies, from the long neck of the adult. 



The larvae are very voracious and hunt for their prey with 

 great assiduity. They are, like many other carnivorous insects, 

 capable of fasting for a long time. The German entomologist 

 Stein kept one for eight months without food, but still living. 



The pupa is found naked under bark and looks like the 

 adult except that it has not the long neck. It becomes active 

 before giving out the adult, just as do the pupae of the caddis flies. 



Less than ten species inhabit the United States, all of them, 



as above stated, being far western forms. The full life-history 



of none of them is known. 



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