20 
Psyche 
[March-June 
within the genus. Whether this homogeneity in repagula morphology 
extends to other genera within the Ululodini cannot be said : un- 
fortunately, New (1971) does not clarify this point with regard 
to the genera Ascalorphne, Colobopterus and Cordulecerus except 
to say that repagula of these last-named groups were observed to be 
“glossy castaneous” like those of Ululodes. We have shown that 
it is this very “glossy castaneous” appearance of the Ululodes repa- 
gulum that is most significant in terms of ant-repulsion; it seems 
likely that the shiny repagula of these other Ululodini are also 
fluid-covered and similarly serve to protect the eggs and brood from 
predators. 
Interpretation of repagula function in the other subfamily, the 
Neuroptynginae, is ambiguous. New (1971) describes for Epis- 
perches spp. (Neuroptynginae) a type of repagulum which is quite 
similar to, though simpler than, that of Ululodes spp. in its rod-like 
form and glossy surface texture; Byas sp., on the other hand, displays 
an unspecialized egg-like repagulum very similar to that of Asca- 
loptynx furciger. Seemingly, the Episperches- type of repagula could 
serve as an antguard in the same manner as the Ululodes- type; 
however, our experiments suggest no such function for the abortive 
eggs of Ascaloptynx and, probably, Byas as well. Instead, the newly 
hatched gregarious larvae of Ascaloptynx — and perhaps of Byas 
— • utilize the repagula as food. It is tempting to view the condition 
seen in Episperches as intermediate between relatively unspecialized 
or “primitive” neuroptyngines like Byas and Ascaloptynx and special- 
ized ascalaphines like Ululodes: parental provision of food for the 
hatchlings in the form of abortive eggs can be interpreted as 
preadaptive to the construction of an ant-fence, in the sense that 
coating an abortive egg with insect-repellent fluid effectively con- 
verts that egg into a true “repagulum” or barrier. Once their 
protective function has been established, true repagula may lend 
additional, less obvious advantage to the species: (1) loss of the 
need for the heavy, ant resistant eggshell, (2) loss of the need for 
robust newly hatched larvae that are capable of group defense — 
correlated with reduction in the size of individual eggs, increase 
in clutch-size, or both, and (3) reduction in the size of energy- 
consuming repagula, since protection of larvae negates the need for 
providing them with food. 
Conclusions concerning the relationship of the New World 
Ascalaphidae to those of the Old World, based upon egg and 
repagula morphology, cannot be justified. Repagula have not been 
