96 APPLE LEAVES — MEALY-WINGED FLY. 



veinlets similar in situation to those of the preceding. Body blackish; anten- 

 nae shorter than the body, robust, thread-like and not tapering, black; legs 

 pale. Wings expand 0.38. Taken in Illinois, on bushes beside Henderson 

 river, the first of October. 



The Titman lace-wing (if. delicatulus). Two veins arising from the in- 

 ner rib-vein, the first more towards its base, the second more towards its tip 

 than in the preceding species; wings hyaline with dusky dots on the veins 

 and a single row of veinlets running obliquely across the disk from the rib- 

 vein to the first longitudinal and broadly margined with dusky; veins pale 

 brown, those of the costal area blackish, the alternate ones towards the base 

 forked, all the others simple; margin thinly fringed with short hairs, a dot on 

 the tips of the veins and a smaller one between them. Body dusky yellowish; 

 antennas longer than the body, brownish; legs pale. Wings expand about 

 0.40. Swept from the grass of prairies in Illinois, the first of October. 



Another insect closely related to the HexMerobiidje, and the 

 larva of which is supposed to feed upon plant-lice, may be noticed 

 in this connection. It is of minute size, and by no means rare, 

 occurring upon apple and other trees, and also upon the wing at 

 twilight or in shady situations, from early in June until the end 

 of July. It is so anomalous that, at one time and another, I have 

 been occupied several days in investigating it and determining 

 where it should be arranged. When first captured I supposed I 

 had a species of Jlhurodes in hand, its minute size, its mealy- 

 white coating, and the size of its wings giving it a close resem- 

 blance to the insects of that group. Indeed the European species 

 allied to this were at first placed by Mr. Stephens in that family. 

 But the number of veins in the wings and of joints in the feet and 

 antennae, and above all the structure of the mouth with jaws for 

 masticating food and not a beak for suction, absolutely excludes 

 these insects from'such an association, and also from being arranged 

 with the moths, where the old authors placed them. It is ob- 

 vious that our insect pertains to the order Neuroptera. And in 

 this order its many points of resemblance to the Coniopteryx 

 Tineiformis, Curtis, leaves no doubt that it finds its true relatives 

 with that insect and its associates, the classification of which has 

 so much perplexed the entomologists of Europe. Whilst Messrs. 

 Curtis and Stephens associate this genus with the Psocim:, Mr. 

 Westwood regards it as having more affinities with the Hemero- 

 BiiDiE. Important differences, however, separate it from both ot 

 these families. It is unlike the Psocidae in having five-jointed 

 feet, and antennse of a different form and with joints doubly 

 numerous: and differs from the Hemerobiidse in having wings 



