THE NEUROPTERA 225 



Many kinds of the adults (Fig. 222) superficially greatly resemble the 

 "damsel-fly" section of the Dragon-flies (Odonata), their long, slender 

 bodies, large, gauzy wings and their general size causing the resemblance. 

 Their antennae, however, instead of being very small and not noticeable, 

 are of fair size and knobbed at the tip, which provides an easy way by 

 which to distinguish the two groups. Other characters and their life 

 history also prove that the resemblance is only superficial. 



The larvae of the ant-lions (Fig. 223) greatly resemble those of the 

 lace- wings in general form and in the possession of long jaws grooved for 

 sucking the blood of their victims. They excavate little conical pits 

 in soft, dry, preferably sandy ground, an inch or two across and as deep 

 as possible for the sandy sides to hold. At the bottom of the pit thus dug 

 the young ant-lion buries itself except for its head, and waits for an 

 unwary insect to fall in. Sliding down the slope of loose earth the victim 

 literally falls into the jaws of the waiting enemy and is killed and de- 

 voured. It has been stated that sometimes the insect on its way down 

 the side of the pit is able to check itself and start to climb out, and that 

 then the ant-lion shovels a load of sand onto the top of its flat head, with 

 its leg, and snaps the sand up the side of the pit, where falling, it sweeps 

 the prey down to the bottom within reach of the ant-lion! 



The process of excavating the pit is also one of extreme interest. 

 The insect first traces out a circle of the desired size, loading its head with 

 sand from inside the circle and snapping it out, and on completing the 

 circle, repeats the process but in the reverse direction, and this is continued 

 until the pit has been completed. In doing this the larva always moves 

 backward. 



After becoming full-grown the ant-lion larva forms a spherical cocoon 

 of sand and silk in the ground, within which it transforms to the adult. 



The ant-lions, though feeding on other insects, are of little if any 

 economic importance as the forms they are most liable to capture are not 

 often probably, serious pests. Their habits and manner of life, how- 

 ever, are so interesting that much attention has been given to them and 

 what has been published about them forms one of the most interesting 

 chapters of Entomology. 



The Neuroptera, though widely distributed over the world, do not 

 constitute a large group. Less than two hundred kinds are known in 

 this country, and probably not more than a thousand kinds in all have 

 thus far been discovered. Fossil specimens of several of the families have 

 been recognized. 



