﻿DESCRIPTION 
  OF 
  THE 
  PHYLOPTERA. 
  287 
  

  

  had 
  been 
  done 
  upon 
  this 
  subject. 
  We 
  have 
  examined 
  the 
  fundamenta 
  

   characters 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  thorax, 
  and 
  abdomen, 
  points 
  neglected 
  by 
  most 
  

   systematic 
  writers, 
  not 
  spending 
  much 
  time 
  on 
  the 
  peripheral, 
  i. 
  e., 
  the 
  

   superficial 
  adaptive 
  characters 
  of 
  the 
  mouth-parts, 
  wings, 
  and 
  legs, 
  

   which 
  have 
  been 
  elaborated 
  by 
  systematic 
  entomologists 
  j 
  believing 
  that 
  

   by 
  this 
  method 
  perhaps 
  more 
  thorough 
  and 
  better 
  grounded 
  views 
  might 
  

   result. 
  The 
  outcome 
  has 
  been 
  to 
  lead 
  us 
  to 
  separate 
  the 
  Neuroptera, 
  as 
  

   defined 
  farther 
  on, 
  from 
  the 
  Pseudoneuroptera, 
  and 
  to 
  regard 
  these 
  two 
  

   groups, 
  with 
  tbe 
  Orthoptera 
  and 
  Dermatoptera, 
  as 
  four 
  orders 
  of 
  a 
  cate- 
  

   gory 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  a 
  superorder, 
  for 
  which 
  the 
  name 
  Phy- 
  

   loptera 
  is 
  proposed, 
  as 
  these 
  four 
  orders 
  are 
  probably 
  closely 
  allied 
  to, 
  

   if 
  not 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  identical 
  with, 
  the 
  stem 
  or 
  ancestral 
  groups 
  from 
  

   which 
  probably 
  all 
  the 
  higher 
  orders 
  — 
  the 
  Hemiptera, 
  Ooleoptera, 
  Di- 
  

   ptera, 
  Lepidoptera, 
  and 
  Hymenoptera 
  — 
  have 
  originated. 
  

  

  We 
  will 
  first 
  briefly 
  summarize 
  the 
  characters 
  as 
  we 
  understand 
  them 
  

   of 
  the 
  Fhyloptera 
  as 
  a 
  whole 
  ; 
  then 
  the 
  distinguishing 
  marks 
  of 
  the 
  four 
  

   orders, 
  then 
  briefly 
  discuss 
  their 
  probable 
  genealogy, 
  closing 
  with 
  a 
  more 
  

   extended 
  though 
  very 
  condensed 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  essential 
  peculiarities 
  

   of 
  structure 
  of 
  the 
  families, 
  as 
  represented 
  by 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  of 
  the 
  typical 
  

   genera. 
  

  

  Superorder 
  PHYLOPTERA. 
  

  

  137 
  

  

  The 
  mouth-parts 
  are 
  free, 
  adapted 
  invariably 
  for 
  biting; 
  the 
  mandi- 
  

   bles 
  being 
  toothed 
  and 
  adapted 
  for 
  chewing; 
  the 
  first 
  maxillae 
  separate, 
  

   with 
  three 
  divisions, 
  the 
  outer 
  bearing 
  usually 
  five-jointed 
  palpi; 
  the 
  

   second 
  maxillae 
  united 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  labium, 
  divided 
  into 
  a 
  submentum, 
  

   mentum, 
  and 
  ligala, 
  the 
  latter 
  varying 
  much, 
  being 
  either 
  cleft 
  (Pseudo- 
  

   neuroptera) 
  or 
  entire 
  (ISTeuroptera), 
  and 
  bearing 
  usually 
  a 
  three-jointed 
  

   palpus. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  primitive, 
  elementary 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  mouth-parts, 
  

   and 
  such 
  as 
  obtains 
  in 
  Coleopterous 
  larvae. 
  The 
  head 
  is 
  notable 
  from 
  

   the 
  great 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  epicraniam. 
  The 
  clypeus 
  is 
  often 
  divided 
  

   into 
  two 
  portions, 
  a 
  posterior 
  (post-clypeus) 
  and 
  anterior 
  (ante-clypeus) 
  ; 
  

   in 
  the 
  other 
  and 
  higher 
  orders 
  the 
  clypeus 
  is 
  entire. 
  

  

  The 
  prothorax 
  is 
  usually 
  very 
  large 
  and 
  square, 
  but 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  fami- 
  

   lies, 
  as 
  the 
  Phryganeidae, 
  Panorpidae, 
  Psocidae, 
  Libellulidae, 
  and 
  Ex)he- 
  

   meridfe, 
  it 
  is 
  small 
  and 
  collar-like. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  marked 
  equality 
  in 
  size 
  

   and 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  meso- 
  and 
  metathorax 
  ; 
  in 
  most 
  Orthoptera 
  and 
  some 
  

   Pseudoneuroptera 
  and 
  Neuroptera 
  the 
  metathorax 
  is 
  often 
  even 
  larger 
  

   than 
  the 
  mesothorax; 
  in 
  this 
  respect 
  the 
  Fhyloptera 
  differ 
  from 
  any 
  of 
  

   the 
  higher 
  Hexapoda. 
  In 
  both 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  hinder 
  segments 
  of 
  the 
  thorax 
  

   the 
  four 
  tergal 
  sclerites, 
  viz 
  : 
  the 
  praescutum, 
  scutum, 
  scutellum, 
  and 
  post- 
  

   scutellum, 
  are 
  each 
  well 
  developed, 
  and 
  more 
  equably 
  so 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  

   higher 
  orders. 
  The 
  scutum 
  is 
  deeply 
  excavated 
  in 
  front 
  to 
  receive 
  the 
  

   often 
  large 
  subtriangular 
  or 
  cordate 
  praescutum; 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  genera 
  

  

  *3'From 
  <i>v\ov, 
  gens, 
  nation; 
  ttrepov, 
  -wing. 
  

  

  