744 



STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTERA^ 1., 



hut simple in the hindwing. Also, the cubitus is strongly forked 

 in the forewing, at a level somewhat proximad to the forking o/M, 

 while in the hindwing it is only very weakly formed. Further, 

 it is remarkable that, in the Nymjjhidie, Cu, in the forewing is 

 not strong enough to reach the distal border of the wing. It is, 

 in fact, dynamically useless already, and its fusion with M2 may 

 be regarded as the obvious result of further weakening. If, in 

 the venation of the forewing of Xymphes myrmeleonides (Text-fig. 

 8, a), we bring Cuj into apposition with M2(fig.85), we get a 



— Cu,.M, 



Text-fig.S. Phylogeny of the cubito-niedian vein in the forewing of Myr- 



meleonidce. a, Nymphid (archaic) stage; h, Intermediate stage 

 (apposition of Cu^ to Mg); c, Myrmeleouid stage, with oblique vein 

 O, and cubito-median vein completed (Cu^ + M3). 



condition almost exactly represented in the pupal tracheation of 

 Myrmeleon. By the fixation of the oblique vein O and the 

 alignment of Cuj with the rest of Mg, we finally get the imaginal 

 venation of Myrmeleon (fig.8,c). 



Another point in which the JVymphidce difFei from the Myrme- 

 leonidcB is that, in the former, Rs arises from R quite close to the 



