616 NEUROPTERA. 



to rank higher than the Panorpidce, which next to the 

 Thysanura are in our view the lowest famil}^ among the Neu- 

 roptera. 



The larvje are more or less cylindrical, with well developed 

 thoracic feet, and a pair of feet on the end of the abdomen, 

 varying in length. The head is small, and like that of a Tor- 

 tricid larva, which the Caddis or Case-worm, as the larva is 

 called, greatly resembles, not onl}' in form, but in its habit of 

 rolling up submerged leaves. They also construct cases of bits 

 of sticks, sawdust, or grains of sand, which thc}'^ drag over the 

 bottom of quiet pools, retreating within when disturbed. They 

 live on vegetable matter, and on water-fleas (Entomostraca) 

 and small aquatic larvae. When about to pupate they close 

 up the mouth of the case with a grating, or as in the case of 

 Helicopsyche b}^ a dense silken lid with a single slit, and in 

 some instances spin a slight, thin, silken cocoon, within which 

 the pupa state is passed. The pupa is much like that of the 

 smaller moths, except that the wings and limbs are free from 

 the body. Dr. Hagen informs me that after leaving its case 

 it makes its way over the surface of the water to the shore, 

 sometimes going a long distance. "Westwood states that 

 "the females deposit their eggs in a double gelatinous mass, 

 which is of a green color, and is retained for a considerable 

 time at the extremity of the bod}^ ; the mass is subsequenth' 

 attached to the surface of some aquatic plant, and Mr. H3-de- 

 man has observed the female of Phr3'ganea grandis creep down 

 the stems of aquatic plants under the water, very nearl}- a foot 

 deep, for the purpose of oviposition." A. Mej-er mentions 

 several instances of the union of the sexes of different species 

 of this famity, with the production of fertile eggs. (Giinther's 

 Zoo!o<^ical Record for 1867.) 



Onl^^ one exception to the aquatic habits of th,is familj^ is 

 the Enoicyla pusilla Burmeister which, according to Mc- 

 Lachlan, in Europe "lives out of the water amongst moss at 

 the roots of trees. The larva is destitute of the external 

 respiratory filaments common to almost all caddis-worms, but 

 the spiracles are not ver}' evident. E. pusilla is also remark- 

 able, inasmuch as the female is wingless, and little resembling 

 the male." Von Siebold discovered that an Ichneumon (Agrio- 



