INSECTS - ,,,' - .101 



biting mouth parts, and a complete metamorphosis (holo- 

 metabolous). The ant-lions' are the larvae of a neurop- 

 terous insect, Myrmelion. They live in little burrows 

 which open at the bottom of conical pits. When a small 

 insect starts to slide down the side of the pit, they throw 

 sand at it. The victim finally reaches the formidable jaws 

 waiting at the bottom of the pit. The aphis-lion hatches 



FIG. 50. Neuroptera. At the left is the lace wing with its eggs and nymph 

 (aphis-lion) ; in the center the ant-lion and the insect which emerges from it are 

 shown; at the right is the dobson-fly and its larva. 



from curious little stalked eggs, and spends its larval life 

 searching over plants for aphids, which constitute its chief 

 food. It thus does much good to man. The adult of the 

 aphis-lion is the beautiful little lace-winged fly, Chrysopha. 

 The dobson-fly, or hellgrammite, Corydalis cornuta, is a 

 large insect (four inches across with spread wings) with 



