MEMBRANE-WINGED INSECTS. 269 



which you see in the centre of Fig. 209. Fishes are very 

 fond of the larvae of the Caddice, and hence the necessity 

 of such a covering as they make for themselves. For this 

 reason, also, they are often used as a bait by the angler. 



Questions. In what are the Neuroptera like the Coleoptera and 

 the Orthoptera ? What is said of their wings ? How are they divided 

 into two groups ? What are the families of the first group ? What 

 is there peculiar in three of these families ? What is said of the D: ag- 

 on-flies ? What of their eggs ? What of their larvae ? What of 

 their metamorphosis ? What is said of the Day-flies ? Give the nar- 

 ration of Jaeger in regard to them. What is said of the ravages of 

 the Termites ? What of their habitations ? What are the different 

 classes in their communities? What is said of the laborers ? Of the 

 soldiers ? Of the queen and her cell ? What is said of the Book- 

 lice? What is the characteristic of the second group of the Neurop- 

 tera ? What is said of the Ant-lion ? What is said of a family of 

 insects that deposit their eggs on stalks ? Give the account of the lar- 

 vae of the Caddice-flies. Describe their pupa state and theii meta- 

 morphosis. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



MEMBRANE-WINGED INSECTS. 



460. THE wings of the insects of the order Hymenop- 

 tera are membranous, like those of the Neuroptera, but 

 differ from them in not having a fine net-work of veins 

 or nerves.* In some of the very small species there are 

 almost no nerves. The name membrane-winged is there- 

 fore more appropriate than vein-winged, which is some- 

 times given to them. The anterior wings of the Hyme- 

 noptera are usually much larger than the posterior, and 

 during flight the wings of each side are fastened togeth 

 er by minute hooks on the posterior wing, which take 

 hold of the rear margin of the anterior one. The females 



* These two terms, meaning the same thing, must not be confound- 

 ed with the same terms used in their ordinary sense. In insects thev 

 are applied to the frame-work of the wings. 



