ORDER XI. NEUROPTERA. 



The Neuroptera is a small order, including Cory- 

 dalus, the lace-winged flies, ant-lions, and Mantispa. 



SIALID-E. 



The crawler, Corydalus coniutus, Linn. (PI. VIII., 

 Fig. 119, r, <? , p. 170), is one of our largest insects. 

 The head and prothorax are flattened and movable. 

 In the male, the mesothorax and metathorax are not 

 consolidated, but are separated by a groove, which is 

 deeper on the ventral than dorsal side. Both rings 

 are capable of vertical motion, though the downward 

 motion is freer than the upward : they also move 

 laterally. 



The eyes are small, but compensated for by the 

 antennae, which are long and stout. The mandibles 

 of the female (Fig. 119, d) are strong and toothed, 

 and are in a line with the body as the insect darts 

 forward for its food; those of the male (Fig. 119, c) 

 are extremely long, toothless, and their ends cross : 

 they are used as clasping-organs rather than for 

 obtaining food. The three pairs of legs are similar 

 in structure. As the wing-bearing segments are not 

 consolidated, we should expect to find Corydalus a 

 slow rather than a swift flier, notwithstanding the 

 unusual spread of the wings, which are from 100- 



