HEMEROBIIDAE 



459 



Pitfalls, formed in all probability by ant-lions, have been 

 noticed in the Galapagos islands and in Patagonia, though none 

 of the Insects forming them have been found. 



Sub-Fam. 2. Ascalaphides. — Antennae elongate, with a knob at 

 the tip ; the apical area of the wing with irregular cellules. 



Fig. 302. — Ascalaphus coccajus. East Pyrenees. 



The sub-family Ascalaphides is not represented by any species 

 in Britain, though Ascalaphus longicornis occurs as far north as 

 Paris. In the mountainous regions of Central and Southern 

 Europe some species of the group form a conspicuous part of the 

 Insect fauna, owing to their bold and active flight ; they are pre- 

 daceous in their habits, and fly about in a hawking fashion some- 

 what like that of dragon-flies. Some of the larger of the numerous 

 exotic species of the group are very like dragon-flies, but can be 

 distinguished by a glance at the elongate antennae with a knob 

 at the end. The sub-family consists of two groups — Holoxahthalmi 

 and Schizophthalmi. M'Lachlan says ^ : " The eyes in the Schiz- 

 ophthalmous division are really double, the upper portion over- 

 lapping the under; if the upper portion be separated the lower 

 division looks like a small spherical ordinary eye." There 

 appears, however, to be considerable differences in the genera in 

 this respect. 



' J. Linn. Soc. Zool. xi. 1873, p. 227. 



