164 
Psyche 
[June 
In connection with a general study of the larvae of the Neuroptera 
(MacLeod, 1964), I have examined the known larvae of the 
Nymphidae, including authentic material of Nymphes hatched from 
eggs from a captive female, and larvae identified as Osmylops and 
N ymphidrion from Tillyard’s collection. The results of this more 
general study are now in preparation for publication, but the rele- 
vant information relating to the unique features of larval nymphids 
will be noted here. 
Nymphid and nemopterid larvae differ from other members of the 
Myrmeleontoidea in the lack of any fusion of the tibia and tarsus in 
any of their legs. In contrast, other myrmeleontoids have these seg- 
ments fused in the metathoracic leg. In addition to a single scolus 
on each side of the meso- and methathorax, nymphids characteristically 
have two elongate lateral scoli on each side of the first seven 
abdominal segments, either arranged above each other as in the larva 
described here and in Nymphes , or else with these tubercles placed 
one behind the other as in the very flattened type of larva figured 
by Tillyard as Osmylops. In contrast, wherever elongate scoli are 
developed on the abdomen in the larvae of the Ascalaphidae and 
Myrmeleontidae these are present dorsally on segments I-VIII 
(figs. 1, 2) 10 and if any portion of a ventral series is present, as 
they are in a few ascalaphids, these are confined to the first two 
abdominal segments. As noted above, in a few ascalaphid larvae from 
the New World there is, in addition to the usual scoli on the first 
eight abdominal segments, a very small setigerous tubercle on seg- 
ments 1 1 1- VI I just anterior to the scolus of the segment. The 
known larvae of the Nemopteridae lack any real traces of scoli. 
The larvae of the Ascalaphidae, Stilbopterygidae, and most 
Myrmeleontidae also differ from those of the Nymphidae in the 
shape of the ocular area formed by the aggregated lateral stemmata. 
This area is produced into a distinctly raised ocular tubercle (fig. 3, 
OT) in these three families (secondarily reduced only in some 
specialized myrmeleontids) , rather than having the stemmata organ- 
ized as a nearly sessile lateral group as occurs in the Nymphidae. 
With respect to this feature, the larvae of the Nemopteridae are 
similar to nymphids. 
Nymphid larvae have been presumed to differ from those of the 
10 Actually most myrmeleontids (and Stilbopteryx ) have only setigerous 
swellings on the abdomen and elongate scoli do not occur; however, a 
few generalized Myrmeleontidae have moderately developed scoli and, 
with their somewhat quadrate heads, they look surprisingly like ascalaphids. 
