ANT-LIONS, LACEWING-FLIES, dc. 51 



underneath a large boulder, and within which it changes 

 into a pupa. In general structure the pupa closely 

 resembles the perfect insect ; but its limbs are incapable 

 of any definite movements until shortly before its final 

 transformation. 



The perfect insect appears about November, and con- 

 tinues on the wing until about the middle, of March. It 

 frequents densely wooded forest ravines, and is generally 

 dislodged by beating the profuse growth of ferns, which 

 fringe the edges of the streams in such situations. As it 

 flies with considerable rapidity, it is often difficult to 

 capture, a lengthy pursuit being, as a rule, quite imprac- 

 ticable on account of the extremely rough nature of the 

 ground. 



When resting amongst foliage or in the bed of the 

 stream this insect is very hard to detect, the general 

 shape and colour of the creature's wings causing it to 

 resemble, in the closest possible manner, a dead, or 

 partially skeletonised, leaf. Seeing that hundreds of 

 such leaves are always found where the insects occur r 

 the value of such a protective resemblance is obvious. 



STENOSMYLUS CITRINUS. 



Stenosmylus citrinus, McLachlan, Ann. Mag. Nat. 

 Hist., ser. 4, vol. 12, p. 38 (1873) ; Trans. N. Z. Inst., 

 vol. 6, App., p. xcvi. 



(Plate VIII., fig. 6 type, 5 variety.) 



This extremely beautiful insect has occurred at 

 Waitara, near New Plymouth and in the neighbour- 

 hood of Wellington. In the latter locality it is fairly 

 common, though somewhat scarcer than the preceding 

 species. 



The expansion of the wings is from 2 to 2J inches, and the length of 

 the body about § inch. 



" The whole insect is of a delicate citron colour, excepting the abdomen, 

 which is infuscate ; but the colour of this part is probably changed in dry 

 examples. On the face the colour becomes obscured, and below the base of 

 the antennas it is blackish. On the pronotum anteriorly there is a trace 

 of a black median longitudinal line, and the sides are broadly black, with 

 black hairs ; the meso- and meta-nota have the sides broadly infuscate,. 

 bordered by a black line. The anterior and intermediate tibiae have a black 

 spot at each end and in the middle ; the posterior femora are somewhat in- 

 fuscate, darker at each end, and with a trace of a black spot in the middle ; 

 all the legs are clothed with citron-coloured hairs. The anterior wings have 

 many small black dots, those below the radius, and two discal ones, larger 

 than the others ; at the end of the first branch of the sector and the upper 



