NO. 7 PROTECTIVE ADAPTATIONS — McATEE 5I 



when we come to one of common and general occurrence, the corre- 

 sponding rise in frequency of capture hy birds is apparent at once. 

 The caddisflies, more numerous in species and indivichials than all our 

 other Neuropteroidea together, appropriately contribute nearly two- 

 thirds of the total number of records for the group. The number of 

 species of birds feeding upon them is 113, and of these 45 or more had 

 taken the " specially protected " larvae. The number of records of 

 caddisflies determined was 10 or more for 23 species of birds, and 

 more than 20, 30, and 40 in the case of four, three, and three species 

 respectively. The number of specimens taken by single birds exceeded 

 30 of larvae in a number of instances and ran as high as 207 (in a 

 scaup duck), and of adults reached such figures as 280 and 400 in 

 the case of the nighthawk. 



Identifications of Neuropteroidea 



Number of 

 Group ii.leiitifications 



Neuroptera (sens, lat.) .... no 



Megaloptera 167 



Rhapidioidea 54 



Neuroptera (sens, str.) .... loS 



Phryganoidea 866 



All Neuropteroidea 1,314 



Other enemies.— Fovh&s reports that neuropteroid larvae compose 

 about 10 per cent of the food of the sucker and catfish families in 

 Illinois ; he found caddis larvae in the stomachs of 17 species of fishes. 

 According to various authors, these larvae are an important element 

 in the food of most kinds of trout. Salamanders, frogs, larvae of 

 stoneflies, and parasitic hymenoptera also are enumerated among the 

 enemies of caddis larvae. Forbes found larvae of Sialidae in seven 

 species of fishes, and these are known to be eaten also by frogs and 

 turtles. Chrysopidae have been seen to be eaten by frogs, salamanders, 

 and ants, and they have numerous hymenopterous parasites sometimes 

 destroying inmates of about half of the cocoons. (McGregor, E. A., 

 Can. Ent., vol. 46, pp. 306-308, 1914.) Frogs are recorded also as 

 capturing Mecaptera, as are also lizards and larvae of ant-lions. 

 Robber flies and dragonflies apparently devour any Neuroptera chance 

 throws their way. 



' Computed from Banks, Nathan, Catalogue of neuropteroid insects (except 

 Odonata) of the United States, 53 pp., 1907. 



