5° 
THE TASMANIAN NATURALIST 
Neuroptera, or Dragonflies, &c. 
The Neuroptera comprise many diverse forms of insects that are 
all sometimes treated as belonging to one order, sometimes to several, 
and occasionally some of their groups (as for instance the white ants 
and Embidic) have been regarded as.belonging to the Orthoptera. The 
best known and typical members of the order are the horse-stingers or 
dragon Hies. 
The metamorphoses or changes of most of the groups are complete, 
that is to say, the larval and pupal forms are totally different to the 
adult ones. Many of the species pass all their earlier stages in water, 
only leaving this when about to become winged ; and some of their 
Dragon* Fly ( Austroeeschna multipun data.) 
larva; are highly carnivorous, and provided with remarkable processes 
for seizing and holding their prey. They are all provided with jaws, 
although in many cases these are hollow, so that they can act as sucking 
tubes. 
In the adult stage they are usually provided with four wings, sup¬ 
plied with numerous cross veins. The wings are sometimes of large size 
and beautifully coloured, although usually without scales. 
One single character alone is not sufficient to mark off the orders of 
insects from each other, as may be seen as follows : — 
Insects with jaws or mandibles— Coleoptera , Neuroptera, Orthoptera . 
Hy me nop tern 
Insects that live by suction — Lepidoptera (in their larval stages 
they have jaws), Dip ter a, Hem ip ter a. 
Metamorphoses complete (larvae and pupae very different to adults) 
— Coleoptera , Neuroptera , Hymenoptera , Lepidoptera , Diptera. 
