61G NEUKOPTERA. 



to rank higher than the Pano7'2)idce, which next to the 

 Tli^'sanura are in our view tlie lowest family among the Neu- 

 roptera. 



The larvae are more or less cylindrical, with well developed 

 thoracic feet, and a pair of feet on the end of the abdomen, 

 varying in length. The head is small, and like that of a Tor- 

 tricid larva, which the Caddis or Case-worm, as the larva is 

 called, greatly resembles, not only in form, but in its habit of 

 rolling up submerged leaves. They also construct cases of bits 

 of sticks, sawdust, or grains of sand, which they drag over the 

 l)ottom of quiet pools, retreating within when disturbed. They 

 live on vegetable matter, and on water-fleas (Entomostraca) 

 and small aquatic larva?. When about to pupate Ihey close 

 up the mouth of the case with a grating, or as in the case of 

 Ilelicopsyche by a dense silken lid w ith a single slit, and in 

 some instances spin a slight, tliin, sillcen cocoon, within which 

 the pupa state is passed. The pupa is much like that of the 

 smaller moths, except that the wings and limbs are free from 

 the body. Dr. Ilagen informs me that after leaving its case 

 it makes its way over the surface of the water to tlie shore, 

 Bometimes going a long distance. "Westwood states that 

 •'the females deposit their eggs in a double gelatinous mass, 

 whicli is of a green color, and is retained for a considerable 

 time at the extremity of the body; the mass is subsequently 

 rittached to the surface of some aquatic plant, and Mr. Hyde- 

 man has observed the female of Phryganea grandis creep down 

 the stems of aquatic plants under the water, very nearl}' a foot 

 deep, for the purpose of oviposition." A. Mej'er mentions 

 several instances of the union of the sexes of different species 

 of this family, with the production of fertile eggs. (Gtinther's 

 Zoological Record for 18G7.) 



Only one exception to the aquatic habits of this famil}' is 

 the Enokyla pusiUa Burraeister which, according to Mc- 

 Lachlan, in Europe "lives out of the water amongst moss at 

 the roots of trees. The larva is destitute of the external 

 respiratory filaments common to almost all caddis-worms, but 

 the spiracles are not very evident. E. pusilla is also remark- 

 able, inasmuch as the female is wingless, and little resembling 

 the male." Von Siebold discovered that an Ichneumon (Agrio- 



