214 ZOOLOGY. 



being supported on a delicate stem, sometimes of half an 

 inch in length, they are usually attached to the leaves of 

 plants, from these eggs the larvs are shortly excluded, they 

 are of an ovate form ; some kinds being hairy ; they possess six 

 legs, and feed on the Aphides, or plant lice ; the pupa is 

 eureloped in a silkened case in its dormant state ; the 

 fly greedily devours the aphis, is very short lived; and 

 when brursedj emits a very strong unpleasant odour. 



5. Myrmeleon. Mouth furnished with jaws ; stemmata 



wanting ; antennee clavated, the length of the thorax j 

 fig. 32, plate 3 ; wings deflected ; tail of the male 

 armed with forceps^ consisting of two straitlsh fila- 

 ments. 



Larva six-footed, ovate, hairy, with exerted toothed jaws ; 

 in this state, it preys with great ferocity on ants, and small 

 insects, to ensnare which, it forms a kind of pit-fall in the 

 Sand^ under which it retires till aroused by the falling of the 

 sand, when it rushes out and eagerly seizes the unfortu- 

 nate intruder : the pupa is enclosed in an agglutinated ball 

 of sand or earth, lined with a silky web : in this state it 

 remains about four weeks, when the perfect fly comes forth, 

 which greatly resembles some of the smaller Libellulae but 

 is easily distinguished by its antennje. 



6. Panorpa. Snout lengthened into a cylindrical horny 



proboscis ; feelers two ; stemmata three ; antennee 

 lorger than the thorax ; tail in the male, clawed. 



7. Raphidia. Head depressed, horny ; mouth with two 



teeth ; thorax long, cylindrical ; stemmata three ; 



