282 HALF HOURS WITH INSECTS. [Packard. 



formis) simulate members of nearly every hymenopterous 

 family, as we can see when recalling such names as apifor- 

 7nis, vespifo7'nus, pJiilanthiformis, tipJiiceformis, scoUceformis, 

 spheciformis, cJirysidiformis, cynipidiformis^ formiciformis^ 

 icJmeuvionifoi'mis, uroceriformis, and tenthredini formis. So 

 also other ^Egerians resemble different famil}^ forms of Dii> 

 tera, as seen in the names culiciformls, tijndiformis, bibio- 

 foi'viis, anthraciformis, muscceformis, etc. In the Diptera 

 we find Bombylius, resembling, as its name implies, Bom- 

 bus ; and also Laphria, which so closely apes the humble-bee 

 in its form, coloration, size and flight, even to the buzz, 

 which is, if anything, still louder. Also, there is the strong- 

 est resemblance in some Syrphi to Vespa, and especially to 

 different species of Crabro. But while the Lepidoptera and 

 Fig. 219. Diptera resemble the H^menoptera, we cannot 

 say that Hymenoptera ever assume the form of 

 any flies and moths. They seem isolated, and 

 resemble only themselves. In tlie case of the 

 Laphria, the plump, bee-like form, and tlie dense 

 ^geria. yellow and black hirsuties, which cause them to 

 be mistaken for humble-bees by persons unacquainted with 

 their structural differences, are just those features that are 

 exceptional iu the Diptera, and are normal in the Hymenop- 

 tera. Tlie fly to get tliem has to pass over one suborder 

 to obtain a bizarre form which is a prevalent and common 

 attribute of the Apidae. 



"There is a similar parallelism of analogous forms between 

 the Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Orthoptera, and Neuroptera, 

 which seem bound together by affinities such as those that 

 unite by themselves the bees, moths, and flies. Thus there 

 are certain Hemiptera (Corixa) that resemble the coleop- 

 terous genus Brachys ; Forficula is analogous to the Staphj'- 

 linidffi and Blatta may be said to resemble some Lampyridoe. 

 The close affinities between the Orthoptera and Neuroptera 

 hardly admit of these analogous forms, though we find them 



26 



