372 INSECTS ABKOAD. 



This iridescence is specially brilliant along the outer edge of 

 the wing, where a golden hue mixed with crimson seems to 

 predominate over the other colours. 



The chief peculiarity of the insect, however, lies in the lower 

 wings, which are elongated Like two spears with slender shafts 

 and broad heads. If examined with a magnifying- glass, the 

 general character of the wing is seen to exist even in the very 

 narrowest portion of the shaft, the nervures and cells being 

 plainly apparent. The widened tips of the wings are rather 

 boldly coloured. The extreme tip is opaque greyish white, 

 looking as if white paint had been laid on it, this colour ex- 

 tending along the inner edge for some little distance. Then 

 comes a patch of colourless membranes, and the rest of the wing 

 is brown, becoming pale on the shaft. 



One of the most striking of the Ant Lions in point of appear- 

 ance is Ascalaphus Kolyranensis, which is shown in Plate VII., 

 Figs. 3 and 4. It is found spread over the wanner parts of 

 Europe. 



This is the insect to which reference has already been made, 

 as having long and straight antennae, knobbed at the end like 

 those of a butterfly. Indeed, so close is the resemblance, that 

 at the first glance the insect really leoks as if some expert forger 

 of insects had taken the antenna? of a butterfly and stuck them 

 on the head of an Ant Lion. A closer inspection, however, shows 

 that in several points the antenna? are constructed differently 

 from those of the butterfly, the chief distinction being that the 

 knobbed ends of the antennae are black and flat. 



This is really a beautiful insect, and, like many others, 

 requires a good light in order to make its splendours visible. 

 The head is ornamented above with a radiating circlet of dense 

 black hairs, and below with a dense tuft of hairs similar in 

 length and quality, but bright golden yellow, and having a 

 silken lustre. The thorax and abdomen are of a very deep 

 purple, so deep as to look black unless viewed by a strong light. 



The upper wings are mostly translucent, but are adorned with 

 varied colours. At the base there is a black spot, and then 

 comes a large patch of bright yellow. Beyond this is a square 

 mark of very dark brown, and on the upper edge of the wing is 

 another, but smaller, patch of pale brown. The lower wings are 



