INSECTA. 419 



ate, palpiform. Ligula porrect, pilose. Antennse filiform, long. 

 )celli none. Mesothorax large. Inferior wings narrow, very long, 

 lometimes resembling filaments. 



Sp. Nemoptera extensa DUMERIL, Cons. gn. s. I. Ins. PL 27, fig. 7, GUERIN, 

 Iconogr., Ins. PL 6r, fig. i ; Nemopt. lusitanica KLUG, Panorpa bipennis 

 ILLIG., GERMAR, Fauna Ins. Europ. Fasc. I. Tab. 16, &c. Species from 

 Africa, southern Europe and western Asia. 



Myrmeleon L. (in part), FABR., LATE., Myrmecoleon BURM. 

 "axillary palps mostly shorter than labial ; external lobe of max- 

 lae forming an internal biarticulate palp. Antennas not longer 

 lan thorax, gradually thickened into a club towards the apex, 

 rcuate. Ocelli none. Prothorax short, transverse; mesothorax 

 rge. Wings lanceolate, deflected. Abdomen elongate, cylindrical, 

 eet short. 



Sp. Myrmeleon formicarum L., REAUMUR, Ins. vi. PL 34, fig. 7, RCESEL, 

 Ins. in. Tab. 20, figs. 25, 26, PANZER, Deutschl. Ins. Heft 95, Tab. n. 

 The larva of this insect is known under the name of Lion-ant, and is 

 far-farned for its cunning. It has six feet, very large upper jaws, a flat 

 head, and a large oval abdomen. It moves slowly, and almost always 

 backwards. Unable to pursue its prey rapidly, it seeks to compass it by 

 subtlety. To that end the lion-ant digs funnel-shaped holes in the sand, by 

 moving constantly backwards in still smaller circles, and casting out the 

 sand with its head. During this work it is almost entirely concealed 

 beneath the sand, the head and jaws alone projecting above it. Should the 

 lion-ant in the meanwhile encounter a little pebble, too large for his jaws, 

 he creeps out of the sand, endeavours to push his abdomen under the 

 pebble, attempts in this way to creep with his load to the edge of the 

 funnel, and repeats the operation until he finally succeeds, although the 

 pebble repeatedly falls off behind him. When his work is completed, the 

 lion-ant lurks under the sand in the middle of the conical cavity, and 

 pushes his two upper jaws out of the sand like open shears, continually 

 during the night ; by day he does this more seldom, and only when an 

 insect falls into the hole. Any small insect that ventures incautiously to 

 the edge of this pitfall, and stumbles in the dry sand, is effectually griped 

 by the pincers ; should it try to escape, the lion-ant greets it with a shower 

 of sand, and causes it again to tumble down. If the lion-ant has clutched 

 the insect, he shakes and tosses it about, sucks it dry, and casts the 

 empty body as lumber out of his hole. The lion-ant may be most aptly 

 compared to a spider, and like as this weaves nets proportioned to its size, 

 so he makes his funnels larger the larger he grows. When full-grown, he 

 spins grains of sand together for an abode, almost perfectly spherical, in 

 which he changes to a pupa, and from which after four weeks he makes 

 his appearance as the perfect insect which flies by night. Comp. on the 

 economy of this insect REAUMUR, Ins. vi. pp. 336 386, PL 32 34, 



272 



