SOME ORIENTAL ASCALAPHFDAE IN THE INDIAN 



MUSEUM. 



By F. C. Fraser, Major, I. M.S. 



With one exception, the whole of the specimens dealt with in 

 this paper are from within the limits of the Indian Empire. 

 Four new species are dealt with, of which one is from Si am and 

 the other three from purely Indian localities. The types of these 

 will be preserved in the Indian Museum. 



Individual species are difficult to determine from the wide 

 variations met with in colouring both of body and wings. They 

 pass through a teneral stage analogous to that met with in 

 dragonflies and markings may be obscure, well defined or entirely 

 obliterated according to the age of individual specimens. 



Very little is known of the life-histories of this family of 

 insects so that the descriptions and illustrations of three new 

 latvae will be of interest even though it is impossible to say with 

 certainty to which species they belong. Dr. Tillyard writing to 

 me three or four years ago described a method of obtaining the 

 larvae which is best given in his own word?: "There is a very 

 simple trick not known to many, for the finding of these sorts of 

 larvae and that is to go out into the dry bush (as we call it here), 

 and study the large isolated trees, if you have them. I select a 

 tree that is old and worn, with a good lean on it, and with loose 

 rubbly soil around it (termite earth is very good). I then go down 

 on my hands and knees, scoop the soil up in both hands, and let 

 it run slowly through again, forming a mound slowly. Any larvae 

 of Myrmeleontidae or Ascalaphidae hiding in the soil fall out, and 

 can be seen at once, as they give a kick and begin to burrow 

 again very quickly. I also examine bits of bark, etc., for the 

 Ascalaphidae, which are usually more sluggish and like to hide 

 under bark, debris, etc." Dr. Tillyard states that he has secured 

 larvae of nearly every known local genus in this manner around 

 Sydney. I have adopted his methods from time to time but have 

 not met with any success Situations such as he describes are 

 very common in parts of the Deccan and Punjab, but I have not 

 found them to yield fruit although I have copied his instructions 

 to the letter. Dry seasons, he further states, promote the increase 

 of these Neuropterous groups, whilst wet weather nearly wipes them 

 out. This does not appear to be the case in India as I have found 

 Ascalaphids more common in the wet than the dry seasons, al- 

 though their occurrence is scattered pretty well throughout the 

 whole of the year. The termination of the monsoon is probably 

 the best time to take most species, so that the latter part of the 

 rainy season is at least spent in the senior larval state. 



