6 
Psyche 
[March 
represents the starting point of the development of the 
epandrial processes and lobes of other Mecoptera. 
In Merope the epandrial processes e of fig. 36 are broad, 
flat, pointed plates clearly demarked from the tergite be- 
hind them. In the Bittacidse represented by Harpobittacus 
(fig. 35) the epandrial lobes become highly developed, and 
in some Bittacidse they are extremely large and are pro- 
vided with roughened areas suggesting that they may play 
a part in mating (as claspers), and on this account they 
were referred to as the “copulalobi” in the Bittacidse, but 
it is preferable to designate all of these lobes and processes 
of the ninth tergite as the epandrial processes (or lobes). 
In Harpobittacus the first abdominal segment (which is 
provided with a huge spiracle) is very small, so that the 
ninth segment might be counted as the eighth if the true 
first segment were overlooked, but by counting the eight 
pairs of abdominal spiracles one can determine the cor- 
responding segments, even when the first segment has 
fused with the metathorax as in Boreus, and when there 
has been a fusion or suppression of segments, the spiracles 
furnish the clews for determining whether the fusion has 
been in the anterior or posterior region of the abdomen, 
since if there are eight distinct, spiracle-bearing segments 
in the abdomen when the number of segments has been 
reduced, it is evident that the fusion has occurred posterior 
to the eighth segment. In the Boreidse, the epandrial lobes 
e of fig. 33 are rather densely beset with small protuber- 
ances giving a roughened appearance to their dorsal sur- 
faces. The epandrial processes are not developed in 
Chorista (fig. 34) or Panorpodes (fig. 31) or most Pan- 
orpidse (fig. 31), and the character of the epandrium ep of 
Chorista and Panorpodes (figs. 34 and 31) points to a rather 
close relationship between these insects, and Panorpodes 
is apparently closely related to the ancestral Panorpidse 
among the Mecoptera. In Chorista and Panorpodes (figs. 
34 and 31) the anus-bearing structure pg is not covered 
by the epandrium ep, but in the Panorpid shown in fig. 28, 
the epandrium ep is produced posteriorly and completely 
hides the proctiger beneath it. 
