TERMITINA. MYRMELKONID/E. 97 



Section IV.— TERMITINA, Mac Leay. 



AntenncB long- and filiform^ or setaceous, sometimes moniliform, composed of 

 numerous joints, the basal one largest, occasionally clavate : mandibles 

 dentate : head transverse ; forehead, or clypeus, sometimes tumid : eyes more 

 or less prominent, semiglobose and lateral : thorax with its aviterior segment, 

 or co/Zar, generally long, occasionally very long ; its other segments variable : 

 wings in the typical genera nearly alike, with two central approximating 

 longitudinal nervures, the costal portion usually with numerous transverse 

 nervures, which are occasionally bifid, and sometimes united by longitudinal 

 ones, the other portions mostly with numerous longitudinal nervures, 

 more or less united by transverse ones placed obliquely; in the other 

 genera the two pair of wings are dissimilar, with four very distinct 

 irregularly waved longitudinal nervures, and occasionally one or two 

 transverse ones : abdomen long and slender, in one genus furnished at the 

 apex, of the females, with an elongated, curved, ovipositor : legs simple : 

 tarsi with 5, or 4, joints. 



The insects included in this section — which may be divided into 

 families by the few external characters given below — although con- 

 siderably diversified in appearance, appear to agree sufficiently to 

 form one group, discrepant from the other Neuroptera ; but they 

 are evidently divisible into two subordinate groups, the Psocidae 

 differing from the others in the shorter neck, swollen forehead, and 

 singularly nerved wings, the hinder pair of which are in general 

 much smaller than the anterior ; and sometimes all the wings are 

 wanting. 



Tarsi articulis 4 ; collum valde elongatum : . . .4. Raphidiid^. 

 5 ; collum subelongatum, aut breve : 



Anten7ics cla.va.tm I . . . . .1. MyrmeleoniDjE. 



baud clavatae : 



-4 te plus minus reticulate: . . .2. Hemerobid^. 



venosae, vix reticulate : . . .3. PsociDjE. 



Family I.— MYRMELEONIDtE, Leach. 



Antennae thicker towards the extremities, inserted between the eyes, many- 

 jointed, the tip compressed: palpi six : body elongate : head transverse: eyes 

 semiglobose, prominent : ocelli wanting : thorax elongate, somewhat 

 cylindric-ovate : collar narrow, small ; mesothorax ample : ivings equal, 

 open, deflexed, nervose, somewhat elongate-trigonate, costa straight, inner 

 margin curved : abdomen cylindric, apex of the males biappendiculate : legs 

 short, stoutish : tarsi 5-jointed, the first and last joints longest : claws two, 



Mandibulata, Vol. VI., June 15th, 1836. n 



