738 



STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTERA, 1. 



that the Hemerohiidce have preserved, with very Uttle alteration, 

 an original archaic wing-plan. 



An examination of the wing- venation of a Myrmeleonid (Text- 

 fig. 3) suggests that there could be nothing rash in at once naming 

 off all the principal veins and branches without reference to the 

 pupal tracheation. Three obvious differences from the Hemero- 

 biid plan are at once recognisable, viz., the presence of only a 

 single radial sector, Rs, the unbranched condition of the media, 

 M, and the presence of only two branches of the analis(lA, 2 A). 



Fext-fig. 3. — Wings of Myrmeleon uniseriaius { x ^) , to show the usually 

 accepted venational nomenclature. (Original). 



All students of the Myrmdeonidw have applied the Comstock- 

 Needham notation to this venation in the manner shown in Text- 

 fig. 3, and it seemed that there was no more to be said on the 

 subject. 



Now the Myrmeleo7iidcE are admittedly, by their specialised 

 life-history, and by the success of their evolutionary effort, in 

 comparison with that of the other groups of Neuroptera, the most 

 advanced family in the group (except perhaps the Chrysopidce). 

 It seemed to me very strange, therefore, that we should all accept 



