1987] 
Henry & Busker — Green lacewings 
223 
storage. Fertility was indicated by darkening of the initially green 
egg within two days of oviposition at about 26° C. Unstalked eggs, 
glued directly to the substrate or dropped to the ground, were also 
monitored for darkening and included in any counts if fertile. Eggs 
were clipped, counted, and monitored three times per week, unless 
otherwise specified. Clipped eggs from one session were saved until 
the next, so that their fertility or sterility could be guaranteed. Since 
just 5 to 10 percent (at most) of any individual female’s eggs were 
ever inviable, the results tabulate only fertile, developing eggs. 
Sample sizes varied considerably from one experiment to 
another, due to the opportunistic nature of the studies. For exam- 
ple, egg counts were performed on 8 field-captured, gravid females 
of Chrysopa oculata and 6 of Chrysoperla harrisii (Fitch), but only 
three of such females of C. rufilabris (Burmeister) and one of C. 
downesi were available, and C. plorabunda was neglected alto- 
gether. Similarly, multiple-mating experiments on females were 
completed only with C. plorabunda (21 females) and C. downesi (17 
females). Individuals that produced fewer than 400 eggs were 
excluded, since our interest was in maximal fecundities. Male 
multiple-mating studies were limited to C. plorabunda (8 males), C. 
downesi (2), and C. oculata (2). Finally, a few data correlating 
fertility with copulation duration were taken, but only for C. plora- 
bunda (27 matings) and C. downesi (15 matings). 
Means and standard deviations were calculated from the data 
using a computer spreadsheet (LOTUS 1, 2, 3™). Samples were 
tested for normality by a Kolmogorov-Smirnov routine, and 
deemed significantly different by two-tailed t-tests and confidence 
limits of 99%, using the statistical functions of the computer 
program ASYSTANT+™. 
Voucher specimens have been deposited in the insect collection of 
the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of 
Connecticut, Storrs. 
Results 
Egg Counts: Field-captured, Gravid Females. 
Egg productivity by wild females of C. oculata, C. harrisii, C. 
rufilabris, C. downesi, and M. emuncta are shown in Tables 1 and 2 
(no field-collected C. plorabunda were tested). For all species except 
M. emuncta, totals per female averaged between 700 and 1000 eggs: 
insignificantly different from one another. Such totals also reflect 
