424. THE INSECT WORLD. 
by describing, backwards, the turns of a spiral whose diameter - 
gradually diminishes. Their strong square head serves them as a 
spade with which to throw the sand far away. They then hide 
themselves at the bottom of the hole, their head alone being out, 
and wait with patience for some insect to come near. Scarcely has 
the ant-lion perceived its victim on the borders of its funnel, when 
it throws at it a shower of dust to alarm it, and make it fall to 







————= = SS 
Fig. 402. —Larva, cocoon, and 
: Wy peas ies 
Fig. 401.—Ant-lion’s funnel. pupa of the Ant-lion. 
the bottom of the precipice, which does not fail to happen. Then 
it seizes it with its sharp mandibles, and sucks its blood; after 
which it throws its empty skin out of the hole and resumes the 
look-out. Ants especially become its prey, whence its name of 
Ant-lion. Towards the month of July, the larve make them- 
selves a spherical cocoon, mixed with grains of sand, in which 
they are transformed into pupe which are hatched towards the 
end of August. The perfect ant-lions diffuse an odour of roses; 
their flight, which is weak, distinguishes them from the dragon- 
flies. We meet in the south of France with a very beautiful 
species of Ant-lion, the Myrmeleo libelluloides (Fig. 403) ; its larva 
can move forwards, and does not dig itself a funnel. 
The genus Ascalaphus (Fig. 406) is remarkable for the long 
clubbed antennee of its members, and for their rapid flight. They 
like the sun, and live especially in hot countries; however, one 
meets with the Asca/laphus, in the month of July, near Paris, 
on the dry declivities of Lardy and of Poquency. Their larvze 
