388 ENTOMOLOGY 
has an alar expanse of twenty-eight inches. The Carbonife- 
rous prototypes of our Odonata were gigantic beside their 
modern descendants, one of them (Meganeura) having a spread 
of over two feet; they were more generalized in structure than 
recent Odonata, presenting a much simpler type of neuration 
and less differentiation of the segments of the thorax. The 
Carboniferous precursors of our May flies attained a high 
Fic. 208. 
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Lithomantis carbonarius, showing prothoracic appendages. Two thirds natural size.— 
After Woopwarp. 
development in number and variety; in fact, the Ephemeride, 
like the Blattidze, achieved their maximum development ages 
ago, when they attained an importance strongly contrasting 
with their present meager representation. 
The Permian has supplied a remarkable genus Eugercon 
(Fig. 299) with hemipterous mouth parts associated with fili- 
form antennze and orthopteroid wings. ‘The earhest unques- 
tionable traces of insects with an indirect metamorphosis are 
found in the Permian of Bohemia, in the shape of caddis worm 
case 
Triassic.—Triassic cockroaches present interesting stages 
in the evolution of their family. Through these Mesozoic 
n 
