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XVIII. Remarks concerning the identification of Myrme- 
leon formicaleo, formicarium, and formicalynx 
of Linné. By Rosert McLacuuan, F.L.S., 
Sec. Ent. Soc. 
[Read 20th November, 1871.} 
I wave just received from Pastor Wallengren a most 
valuable contribution to European Neuropterology, in the 
form of the first part of his ‘‘ Skandinaviens Neuroptera” 
(Kongl. Sv. Vet.-Ak. Handlingar, 1871), comprising the 
Planipennia. Naturally the Scandinavian fauna is almost 
identical with that of Britain; but Sweden possesses an 
Ant-lion, which is amongst the things hoped for by us. 
The name this Ant-lion should bear opens up an interest- 
ing and involved question. The family Myrmeleonide is 
tolerably rich in species in Southern Europe; but as we 
approach the more central or northern portions of the 
Continent, it may be said to have but two representa- 
tives, and it is concerning these two that the following 
notes are written. One of those has the wings spotted 
with black or fuscous, the spots being less evident in 
faded individuals, or in those recently developed: this 
has been known under the name of formicarius by almost 
_all European entomologists, out of Sweden, and is very 
abundant in warm sandy spots in most parts of central 
Europe, also occurring pretty generally in the south. 
The other has perfectly immaculate wings (excepting a 
whitish pterostigma): this, by modern Neuropterists, is 
generally known, out of Sweden, by the name of fornu- 
calynex (it is the innotatus of Rambur, according to the 
type, and the nevtrwm of Fischer vy. Waldheim), and has 
a more decided northern range, extending far into 
Siberia, yet also occurring in Spain and southern Italy. 
I make no mention of other characters, because the pre- 
sence or absence of spots on the wings is enough for my 
present purpose. 
It is evident that, sooner or later, Linné confounded 
those two distinct species as forms, or local varieties, of 
one.* 
In the first edition of the ‘ Fauna Suecica’ (1746), he 
says, of an Ant-lion (without trivial name) “ alc obsolete 
nebulose.” 
* Cf. Villers, Linn. Ent. iii., pp. 59-60. 
TRANS. ENT. Soc. 1871.—PaRT IV. (DECEMBER.) ry 
