INSECTA. 419 
late, palpiform. Ligula porrect, pilose. Antenne filiform, long. 
Ocelli none. Mesothorax large. Inferior wings narrow, very long, 
sometimes resembling filaments. 
Sp. Nemoptera extensa Dumérin, Cons. gén. 8. l. Ins. Pl. 27, fig. 7, Guiérin, 
Iconogr., Ins. Pl. 61, fig. 1 3—Nemopt. lusitanica Kuve, Panorpa bipennis 
Ituic., GermMar, Fauna Ins. Europ. Fase. 1. Tab, 16, &c. Species from 
Africa, southern Europe and western Asia, 
Myrmeleon L. (in part), Fasr., Larr., Myrmecoleon Burn. 
Maxillary palps mostly shorter than labial; external lobe of max- 
ill forming an internal biarticulate palp. Antenne not longer 
than thorax, gradually thickened into a club towards the apex, 
arcuate. Ocelli none. Prothorax short, transverse; mesothorax 
large. Wings lanceolate, deflected. Abdomen elongate, cylindrical. 
Feet short. 
Sp. Myrmeleon formicarum L., Réavmour, Jns. vi. Pl. 34, fig. 7, R@sEL, 
Ins, 11. Tab. 20, figs: 25, 26, Panzer, Deutschl. Ins. Heft 95, Tab. 11. 
The larva of this insect is known under the name of Lton-ant, and is 
far-famed for its cunning. It has six feet, very large upper jaws, a flat 
head, and a large oval abdomen. It moves slowly, and almost always 
backwards. Unable to pursue its prey rapidly, it seeks to compass it by 
subtlety. To that end the lion-ant digs funnel-shaped holes in the sand, by 
moving constantly backwards in still smaller circles, and casting out the 
sand with its head. During this work it is almost entirely concealed 
beneath the sand, the head and jaws alone projecting above it. Should the 
lion-ant in the meanwhile encounter a little pebble, too large for his jaws, 
he creeps out of the sand, endeavours to push his abdomen under the 
pebble, attempts in this way to creep with his load to the edge of the 
funnel, and repeats the operation until he finally succeeds, although the 
pebble repeatedly falls off behind him. When his work is completed, the 
lion-ant lurks under the sand in the middle of the conical cavity, and 
pushes his two upper jaws out of the sand like open shears, continually 
during the night; by day he does this more seldom, and only when an 
insect falls into the hole. Any small insect that ventures incautiously to 
the edge of this pitfall, and stumbles in the dry sand, is effectually griped 
by the pincers ; should it try to escape, the lion-ant greets it with a shower 
of sand, and causes it again to tumble down. If the lion-ant has clutched 
the insect, he shakes and tosses it about, sucks it dry, and casts the 
empty body as lumber out of his hole. The lion-ant may be most aptly 
compared to a spider, and like as this weaves nets proportioned to its size, 
so he makes his funnels larger the larger he grows. When full-grown, he 
spins grains of sand together for an abode, almost perfectly spherical, in 
which he changes to a pupa, and from which after four weeks he makes 
his appearance as the perfect insect which flies by night. Comp. on the 
economy of this insect R&éaumur, Ins. vr. pp. 336—386, Pl. 32—34, 
27—2 
