﻿AQUATIC 
  INSECTS 
  IN 
  THE 
  ADIRONDACKS 
  55I 
  

  

  KEY 
  TO 
  GENERA 
  OF 
  HEMEROBIIDAEi 
  

  

  a 
  Brandies 
  of 
  the 
  radical 
  sector 
  arising 
  (i. 
  e. 
  separating 
  from 
  vein 
  Ri 
  ) 
  by 
  a 
  

   common 
  stalk 
  (lig. 
  32) 
  

   6 
  Humeral 
  cross 
  vein 
  recurrent, 
  and 
  bearing 
  several 
  branches 
  on 
  its 
  outer 
  

  

  side 
  Polys 
  toec 
  botes 
  

  

  1)1) 
  Humeral 
  cross 
  vein 
  unbranched 
  and 
  not 
  recurrent 
  

  

  c 
  The 
  median 
  vein 
  repeatedly 
  forlsed 
  ; 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  branches 
  of 
  vein 
  Cu 
  1 
  

  

  forked 
  Sisyra 
  

  

  cc 
  The 
  median 
  vein 
  but 
  once 
  forked 
  ; 
  the 
  branches 
  on 
  vein 
  Cui 
  simple 
  

  

  C 
  1 
  i 
  m 
  aci 
  a 
  

   aa 
  Branches 
  of 
  the 
  radial 
  sector 
  arising 
  separately 
  from 
  vein 
  Ri 
  

   d 
  Humeral 
  cross 
  vein 
  recurrent 
  and 
  bearing 
  several 
  branches 
  on 
  its 
  enter 
  

  

  side 
  He 
  me 
  robins 
  

  

  del 
  Humeral 
  cross 
  vein 
  unbranched 
  and 
  not 
  recurrent 
  Micromus 
  

  

  The 
  typical 
  genus, 
  Hemerobius, 
  includes 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  

   described 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  family. 
  Its 
  larvae 
  are 
  commonly 
  arboreal, 
  and 
  

   feed 
  on 
  aphids, 
  small 
  moth 
  larvae, 
  etc. 
  They 
  commonly 
  spin 
  their 
  loose 
  

   cocoons 
  of 
  silk 
  in 
  crevices 
  of 
  the 
  bark 
  and 
  there 
  undergo 
  their 
  transfor- 
  

   mations. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  American 
  genus 
  Polystoec 
  botes, 
  which 
  contains 
  our 
  

   largest 
  species, 
  the 
  Hfe 
  history 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  recorded. 
  Hagen, 
  char- 
  

   acterizing 
  the 
  genus 
  in 
  1861 
  (Synopsis 
  Neuroptera 
  of 
  North 
  America)^ 
  

   wrote 
  " 
  Larvae 
  perhaps 
  aquatic 
  "; 
  and 
  this 
  opinion 
  has 
  been 
  handed 
  dovi^n 
  

   to 
  the 
  present 
  time. 
  I 
  obtained 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  in 
  July 
  by 
  confining 
  some 
  

   of 
  the 
  females 
  ofPolystoechotes 
  in 
  a 
  pasteboard 
  box. 
  The 
  eggs 
  

   were 
  dropped 
  at 
  random 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  box, 
  where 
  they 
  rolled 
  

   loosely 
  about. 
  They 
  were 
  chalky 
  white 
  in 
  color, 
  oblong 
  oval 
  in 
  outline, 
  

   with 
  surface 
  minutely 
  granular. 
  Some 
  were 
  dropped 
  on 
  water 
  in 
  a 
  glass, 
  

   where 
  they 
  floated 
  high 
  and 
  dry; 
  and 
  the 
  next 
  day 
  were 
  overgrown 
  

   with 
  molds. 
  The 
  others 
  were 
  left 
  in 
  the 
  box, 
  and 
  the 
  box 
  closed 
  that 
  

   more 
  eggs 
  might 
  be 
  obtained 
  : 
  instead, 
  the 
  females 
  ate 
  the 
  eggs 
  already 
  

   laid, 
  and 
  then 
  began 
  to 
  devour 
  one 
  another. 
  Thus 
  I 
  lost 
  an 
  excellent 
  

   opportunity 
  for 
  studying 
  the 
  earlier 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  hfe 
  history 
  of 
  this 
  interest- 
  

   ing 
  insect. 
  The 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  eggs, 
  and 
  the 
  haunts 
  of 
  the 
  females 
  

   lead 
  me 
  to 
  suppose 
  rather 
  that 
  the 
  larva 
  is 
  terrestrial 
  or 
  arboreal, 
  as 
  in 
  

   Hemerobius. 
  

  

  Polystoechotes 
  punctatus 
  (pi. 
  26, 
  fig. 
  2) 
  Fabr. 
  was 
  not 
  un- 
  

   common 
  during 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  July. 
  It 
  was 
  taken 
  a 
  few 
  times 
  in 
  our 
  trap 
  

   lanterns 
  ; 
  but, 
  for 
  some, 
  to 
  me 
  unknown 
  reason, 
  was 
  found 
  in 
  numbers 
  only 
  

   in 
  the 
  Saranac 
  Inn 
  railway 
  station. 
  At 
  the 
  windows 
  of 
  the 
  depot 
  one 
  might 
  

   expect 
  to 
  gather 
  with 
  little 
  eflbrt 
  a. 
  dozen 
  or 
  more 
  specimens 
  in 
  an 
  evening. 
  

  

  1 
  Three 
  North 
  American 
  genera 
  remain 
  as 
  yet 
  unreported 
  from 
  New 
  York 
  state: 
  Dilar 
  , 
  with 
  a 
  

   single 
  species, 
  distinguislied 
  from 
  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  by 
  the 
  possession 
  of 
  ocelli; 
  

   Psectra, 
  with 
  a 
  single 
  species, 
  distinguished 
  by 
  its 
  having 
  normally 
  but 
  two 
  wings; 
  and 
  

   Be 
  roth 
  a, 
  with 
  three 
  species, 
  distinguished 
  by 
  having 
  the 
  apex 
  of 
  the 
  wing 
  very 
  acute, 
  and 
  a 
  

   notch 
  or 
  excision 
  in 
  the 
  outer 
  wing 
  margin. 
  

  

  