NEUROPTERA. 



47 



Fig. 62. 



The larvae live in running water and prey on small aquatic 

 insects, the body being long and flat, with long 

 hair-like antennae, and small eyes situated on the 

 side of the head, the ocelli not usually being 

 present, and long sickle-shaped jaws, while along 

 each side of the abdomen arc leaf-like or bushy 

 false gills, and the body ends in long feathered 

 anal hairs. They live, it is stated, two or three 

 years, and reside in burrows in the mud, under 

 stones, or among grass and weeds, where they 

 ma}' be taken with the water-net in great abun- 

 dance, and are beautiful 

 objects for the aqua- 

 rium. Lubbock states 

 that Chloeon passes 

 t hrough twenty-one 

 moaltings of the skin 

 before it assumes the 

 imago state ; the pupae 

 are active and have, as 

 a general rule, the rudi- 

 ments of wings. After 



leaving the pupa skin Ephemera larva. 



the insect (sub-imago), when its 

 wings are expanded, takes a short 

 flight, and then F >s- 51. 



casts another 

 skin before 



Podura ( Tomocerus). , . , , 



reaching the 

 final imago state. They often fly in im- 

 mense numbers, and become stranded in 

 winrows along the borders of lakes. The 

 perfect insects should be preserved in 

 alcohol for study, as they shrivel up 

 when pinned. They should be described 

 when alive if possible. 



The Thysanura, comprising the Le- 

 pisma (Fig. 51, Lepisma A-seriata or 

 Bristle Tail, and Podura or Spring Tail ; Lepisma i-seriata. 

 Fig. 52, Tomocerus plumbeus) are found abundantly in damp 



