NEUROPTERA. MECAPTERA. 



705 



which with the rest of the body are covered by a powdery down. These 

 are the smallest of the Neuroptera. The hind wings are unusually small , 

 and the antennae often unusually long, many times longer than the body. 

 The larva of a species of Aleuropteryx lives on Pine-trees and sucks out 

 the contents of the Coccid, Aspidiotus abietis, which infests these conifers. 

 Like the Hemerobiidae they form silken cocoons. Aleuronia lives on 

 maples. Coniopteryx is British. 



Order 16. MECAPTERA (PANORPIDAE).* 



Head bearing a distinct beak, this is bent down and carries, 

 near the free end, the palpi : antennae long and slender ; wings 

 long with many radiating and few cross nervures. Larvae with 

 true legs and pro-legs. Carnivorous. 



This Order contains but one family, the Panorpidae, with the 

 characters of the Order. The beak is largely derived from the 

 clypeus and the mandibles are 

 borne at its extremity. The 

 abdomen is long with nine 

 distinct segments. In Panorpa 

 it can be reflected over the 

 back in the male, and gives 

 the Order the name of Scor- 



Fo. 451. Panorpa, communis. FIG. 452. Panorpa communis, male. Cambridge. 



Nat. size. From Sharp. 



pion- flies. There are some ten genera : Panorpa, Boreus and 

 Bittacus are European and North American, and the first two 

 are British. The eggs seem to be laid in moist earth, and the 

 larvae which appear in about a week resemble the young 

 of Saw-flies. They have biting mandibles and maxillae with palps, 

 three pairs of thoracic legs and a pair of pro-legs on the first eight 

 abdominal segments. The larvae are active for a month, then 



* Dufour, Mem. Ac. Sci. etrang., vii, 1841. M'Lachlan, Ent. Mon. 

 Mag., 1894. 



Z III z Z 



