the British Neuroptera-Planipennia. 155 



is not contained in a cocoon^ but lives in a cell formed by 

 the larva ; before the final metamorphosis^ it emerges 

 from this cell, and travels until it finds a favourable place, 

 when the skin splits along the back, and the imago 

 appears. 



The species can only be separated with certainty by 

 an examination of the anal parts of both sexes, in combina- 

 tion with neuration, &c. It should always be borne in 

 mind that the neuration is liable to vary, and hasty 

 conclusions should not be formed from single specimens 

 presenting unusual characters in this respect. The 

 synonymy is in a terribly confused state, and it has been 

 the custom with many to refer every specimen to JR. 

 opliiopsis of Linne ; but in England we do not possess 

 that species, or, at any rate, that which is so referred 

 (and, I think, rightly,) by Continental authors. I define 

 four British species from an examination of about one 

 hundred native examples, including those in the British 

 Museum, in my own collection, and others kindly lent me 

 by Messrs. Dale, Desvignes, Wormald, Parfitt, Water- 

 house, etc., and I have also been aided by my Continental 

 collection, which contains about forty specimens, and nine 

 species, including types communicated to me by Herr 

 Brauer. 



1. Eaphidia notata, Fabricius. 



Eaphidia notata, Fab, Spec. Ins, i, 402 (1781) ; 

 Schum, Versuch, p. 13, fig, 3 ; Ramb, Nevrop. 436, 

 E. ophiopsis, Curt, Brit, Ent. pi, xxxvii (1824) , not of 

 Linne ; Zett, Ins, Lapp, 1054 (according to Hagen) . 

 B. megacephaJa (Leach), Steph. 111. vi. 130 (1836) ; Hag. 

 Ent, Ann, 1858, p. 31. B. medm, Burm. Handb. ii, 

 964 (1839) ; Schn. Mon. Raph, 76, pi, iv. fig, a-f ; Brauer, 

 Neurop, Aust. 53 ; Hag. Tr. Ent. Soc. ser. 3, v. 495. 



The description is made from fresh examples. 



Head very broad, the sides rounded, behind rather 

 suddenly contracted into a short thick neck ; black, very 

 finely and closely punctured above and beneath ; above 

 there is a longitudinal, somewhat reddish, smooth median 

 space, extending from the ocelli to the hinder margin, 

 and divided by an impressed line ; beneath the hinder 

 edge of the neck is produced in the middle into a sort of 

 tooth ; front black ; clypeiis yellowish suffused with 



