28 AMERICAN NEUROPTERA. 



POL.YST<ECHOTKS Burm. 



Wings entire ; subcosta runs into radius near pterostigma in both 

 wings; in both pairs a recurrent vein at base; the costal veinlets 

 forked near tip; one radial sector, with from ten to twenty branches, 

 which are nearly always simple until the outer gradate series; two 

 very oblique gradate series in both wings ; median vein forked 

 several times. 



Type. — P. pimctatus Fabr. 



Polysteeclioles punctatiis Fabricius. — Face yellowish ; dark brown 

 between eyes and on the vertex ; antennae brownisli, the second joint and some- 

 times the first dark brown ; palpi marked with brown ; thorax and abdomen 

 brown ; proiiotuni with four pale streaks; legs yellowish, femora streaked on the 

 outer side, and tips of tibife brown ; tarsi mostly brown, except basal joint is 

 often yellowish. Wings hyaline, venation interruptedly brown and yellowish ; 

 the gradate series mostly brown, and often partly margined with biown ; a large 

 brown patch on inner gradate series at first branch of radial sector and median 

 vein ; the median also heavily marked at end of outer gradate series; margin of 

 wing with alternate patches of brown and whitish, a few brown spots between 

 radial sector and radius ; one long one near tip of wing; sometimes a large patch 

 on anal veins at margin, and the anal veins often crossed by several wavy brown 

 bands; hindwiugs with the costal margin and the posterior fringe alternately 

 white and brown ; venation mostly brown, the costal veins interrupted with pale. 



Wings rather acute at tip. broad in middle, entire; costal area rather narrow 

 at base, but with a long recurrent nijrvure; one radial sector with twelve to 

 eighteen branches, mostly simple to the outer gradate series, where they are 

 forked several times; two very oblique gradate series, the outer one is parallel 

 to the apical and hind margin. Body and legs very hairy. Expanse 40-75 mm. 



All over the northern half of our country and extending south 

 ward in the mountains, as into North Carolina, New Mexico and 

 Arizona ; more common in the northwest than elsewhere. Very 

 variable in size and somewhat in markings. It is strange that the 

 larva of this, our largest Hemerobiid, is unknown ; perhaps it is 

 parasitic in some aquatic insect. 



Hemerobiin^. 

 SYNOPSIS OF GENERA. 



1. A recurrent vein at base of forewings 2. 



No recurrent vein at base of forewings 5. 



2. More than four radial sectors IflegaloiiiUM. 



Four, or fewer, radial sectors 3. 



3. No outer cross-veinlets in hindwings, only four, or less, in outer gradate series 



of forewings; usually but two radial sectors; a cross-veinlet connect- 

 ing first radial sector to median; the median is usually a little bent 



