PSYCHE 
Vol. 79 March-June, 1972 No. 1-2 
EGGS AND RAPAGULA OF ULULODES AND 
ASCALOPTYNX (NEUROPTERA: ASCALAPHIDAE) : 
A COMPARATIVE STUDY* 
By Charles S. Henry 
Biological Laboratories 
Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 02138 
I. Introduction 
Ascalaphidae is a fairly large family of planipennian Neuroptera, 
encompassing perhaps 300 species in 65 genera, yet relatively little 
is known of the biology of its various representatives. Although 
several systematic monographs concerned exclusively with the family 
have been published (Lefebvre, 1842; Rambur, 1842; McLachlan, 
1871; Van der Weele, 1908; Navas, 1913), attempts to discern the 
true phylogenetic relationships among the various genera and other 
taxa must necessarily await studies of life-history and behavior. In 
fact, definite larva-adult associations are lacking for a great majority 
of ascalaphid species. Larvae have been reliably identified only for 
the genera Ascalaphus Fabricius, 1 Helicomitus McLachlan, Pseudo - 
ptynx Weele, Suhpalacsa Lefebvre, and Ululodes Currie, all be- 
longing to the “split-eyed” subfamily Ascalaphinae ; of the “entire- 
eyed” subfamily Neuroptynginae, only Ascaloptynx Banks has been 
associated with a larval type (MacLeod, 1970: p. 155). 
I have succeeded in rearing an additional species of Ululodes from 
egg to adult: Ululodes mexicana (McLachlan), common in northern 
Mexico and southern Arizona and New Mexico. I have also been 
able to compare the form and habits of the various life stages of 
this species with those of a sympatric neuroptyngine species, Ascalo- 
ptynx furciger (McLachlan). The identity of this last-named species 
is inferred, but based upon various types of evidence: (1) third- 
instar larvae, raised from field-collected eggs, were positively identi- 
fied by Dr. Ellis G. MacLeod (University of Illinois) as those of 
Ascaloptynx ; (2) the only species of the genus Ascaloptynx — or, 
for that matter, of subfamily Neuroptynginae — ever taken at the 
* Manuscript received by the editor August 1, 1972. 
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