190 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



BRITISH NEUROPTERA, 1913. 

 By W. J. Lucas, B.A., F.E.S. 



Alder-flies, — Sialis lutaria was noticed first on May 18tb, at 

 the Black Pond, Esher Common (Surrey) —probably not the 

 beginning of its flight, for the species may sometimes be taken 

 in April. On June 1st it was found at Frensham Pond (Surrey). 

 Col. J. W. Yerbury gave me three examples, taken at Aviemore 

 in the Highlands — males on May 25th and 26th, and a female 

 on May 29th. 



Snake-flies.— On April 20th Mr. G. T. Lyle and myself made 

 a lengthy search for larvae and pupae of Raphidia, at Irons Hill 

 Inclosure, in the New Forest. We were not at all certain where 

 they might be found, but as the imagines had been plentiful in 

 the spot the previous season, it seemed likely that we might 

 discover where the earlier stages were passed. We at length 

 found that a favourite habitation for larvae and pupae was the 

 dead bases whence the lower branches of Scotch fir had been 

 broken off. Though decayed, these were more or less dry inside, so, 

 apparently, much moisture is not absolutely necessary for these 

 insects. Two larvae (by size apparently Eaphidia notata) were 

 obtained under the bark of a dead but standing Scotch fir. 

 Judging by size alone, we found larvae and pupae of jR. notata and 

 R. macidicollis — a dozen or more in number. Pupae were some- 

 times in a distinct chamber, but whether they were occupying 

 one ready made by some other insect, or whether they had made 

 it themselves as larvae, was not clear. Usually the pupae seemed 

 to be nearer the boundary of the Inclosure, while those in the 

 larval stage were deeper in the wood. Possibly the former deve- 

 loped earlier, owing to the fact that more sunshine reached them. 

 On May 25th I captured a male imago of R. macidicollis at the 

 Black Pond, Esher Common, while an imago of the larger 

 species {R. notata) was taken on the occasion of the South 

 London Entomological and Natural History Society's excursion 

 to Netley Heath (Surrey) on May 31st. 



Brov^rn Lace-wings. — In April Mr. Lyle gave me a specimen 

 of Hemerohius concinnus, which he had bred from the larva. 

 This he obtained when beating on April 16th. On the 18th it 

 spun a very delicate cocoon of yellow silk with rather open 

 meshes. In form the cocoon was a well-proportioned ellipse 

 about 6 or 7 mm. long by 3 mm. wide. Pupation took place on 

 the 30th, and the imago emerged between May 19th and June 

 9th, but was dead and stiff on the latter date. The pupa had 

 left the cocoon by an irregular hole at one end. H. quadrifasciatus 

 was taken on May 31st by Mr. A. Sich, on the occasion of the 

 excursion of the South London Entomological Society to Netley 

 Heath already mentioned. At Aviemore Col. Yerbury took 



