﻿BRITISH NEUROPTERA IN 1914. 179 



yellower than that of A'', elongatula, but I think the two species are 

 allied, and the male of N. 'palavanica will be found to have a clavate 

 abdomen. 



The following key will facilitate the separation of the 

 Philippine Nomia : — 



Abdomen pale red (Sulu Islands) . . . dimidiata, Vachal. 

 Abdomen not red 1. 



1. Antennas and legs entirely dull ferruginous ; female 



12-5 mm. long (Palawan) . . . phiUppina, Vachal. 



Antennae and legs otherwise coloured .... 2. 



2. Postscutellum bidentate or bispinose .... 3. 

 Postscutellum unarmed 4. 



3. Male with hind tibiae, except a large black spot behind, 



and hind basitarsi, yellowish . . quadrifasciaia (iVshm.). 

 Male with hind tibias, except apical process, and hind 



basitarsi, black incerta, Grib. 



4. Abdomen with tegumentary bands, but covered with hair 5. 

 Abdomen with hair-bands, or, if these are weak, hind 



margins not white or green 6. 



5. Abdominal bands white . . . thoracica stantoni (Ashm.). 

 Abdominal bands green and purple . . . iridescens, Smith. 



6. Abdomen clavate (males) 7. 



Abdomen not clavate 8. 



7. Fifth ventral segment of abdomen with two red spots 



bearing black prominences . . . elongatula, Ckll. 

 Fifth ventral not thus ; larger species . . elongata, Friese. 



8. Head transversely oval ; stigma pale amber . palavanica, Ckll. 

 Head longer; stigma smaller, dusky; abdomen not cla- 

 vate in male . . . takauensis pkilippinensis, Friese. 



BRITISH NEUEOPTERA IN 1914. 

 By W. J. Lucas, B.A., F.E.S. 



Besides a capture of the rarity Drepanepteryx phalanoides, 

 Linn., but little of interest has come to my notice with regard 

 to the Neuroptera in 1914. The first species seen was Ilemerobius 

 stigma, Steph., which was on the wing in the New Forest on 

 March 2nd. On March 8th I took a dark specimen on the wing 

 at Esher Common, Surrey ; on March loth it was fairly common 

 there. This appears to be our earliest species, and it is usually- 

 possible to obtain it by beating the Scotch firs throughout the 

 winter — at any rate in the south of England. 



On the date last mentioned (March 15th) a visit was paid to 

 Esher Common with Mr. C. B. AVilliams specially to search for 

 larvae and pupie of RapJudia, and a fair number of both were 

 obtained. They were met with chiefly in the layers of the bark 

 of the decaying stumps of Scotch firs left in the ground when the 



Q 2 



