the Bioloyu of some British Neuroptera. 529 



The species occurs on beeclies generally, as far as I have 

 seen, but never commonly. My only locality is Epping 

 Forest, where a few are taken every year from June to 

 August. 



One egg has been obtained. It was laid on the underside 

 of an oak leaf, alongside a vein, and was of a general Hemero- 

 biid form. Length -51 mm., colour white, sHghtly yellowish. 

 The young larva much resembled that of S. ])?jf/maeus, 

 but was darker in colour. In the second instar it died, 

 being then almost uniformly blackish-brown, though 

 slightly lighter at the sides of the thorax. 



Sympherobius inconspicuus MacLachlan, 



Wing expanse 10-12 mm. A dark brown or blackish species. Fore- 

 wings with three radial sectors, venation uniformly dark fuscous. 

 Likely to be confounded Avith the last or with Sisyra, but the number 

 of sectors in the tore-wings will at once distinguish. 



The species has been taken on furze by the late Mr. Dale. 

 Personally, I have found it locally common on Weymouth 

 pine, Pinus slrobus, in June and July. In a pine plantation, 

 only certain trees are selected, the great majority failing 

 to yield any specimens. Pinus sylvesiris is not a favoured 

 tree as a rule, but Pinus strobus, infected with Chermcs 

 strobi Htg. Chermes has been found on all trees on which 

 S. inconspicuus has occurred, but I am not sure that this 

 aphid was the main attraction. 



Eggs are laid on the insides of the ensheathing scales at 

 the base of a bundle of five needles. They are deposited 

 singly, or sometimes two together. Each egg is -53 mm. 

 long, of elongate oval shape, yellowish-white in colour, 

 with a pitted chorion and small micropylar knob. In general 

 form it does not differ from the egg of Hemerobius. The 

 micropylar knob is relatively larger than that of S. -pygmaeus. 

 In a few days the colour darkens to yellow and then to 

 orange, and just before hatching, the eyes of the embryo 

 are visible from without, also the segmentation, as brown 

 transverse lines. In thirteen days with an average tem- 

 perature of 62° F., hatching takes place. 



The larva is at first about -7 mm. long. The head is 

 fuscous, rest of body fulvous. The head hardly tapers at 

 all posteriorly and is uniformly dark brown. Antennae 

 short, and as in other species of Sympherobius, distinctly 

 divided into three joints, the terminal one narrowest and 



