

424 THE INSECT WORLD. 
They hide themselves in the earth at the foot of trees, and the 
adult issues forth at the end of a fortnight, leaving its pupa skin 
behind. It lives but a few days. The female lays her eggs on 
reeds, stones, &c. Fig. 899 represents the Mud Sembdlis in its 
three states. 
We now come to those Neuroptera which undergo complete meta- 
morphoses. They are the Myrmeleonide, of which the Ant-lion 
(Myrmeleo) is the most prominent type, and the Phryganide, or 
Caddis-flies. 
The larvee of the Ant-lions live on the land, and are carnivorous. 
When about to undergo their transformation into pups, they spin 
for themselves a silky cocoon. The larve of the Phryganeas, on 
the contrary, live in the water. They surround themselves 

Fig. 400.—Ant-lion (Wyrmeleo formicarius). 
with a sort of protecting case, composed of a silky shell and 
incrustations of all sorts. The pupe, as well as the larve of these 
insects breathe by means of gills. 
The Ant-lion (Myrmeleo formicarius, Fig. 400) is found in the 
environs of Paris. It is an elegant insect, resembling the dragon- 
fly ; and is distinguished from it by its antenne. Its larva is of 
a rosy, rather dirty grey, with little tufts of blackish hair on its 
very voluminous abdomen. Its legs are rather long and slender ; 
the front legs are separated forwards, whilst the hind legs are 
fixed against the body, and only permit the animal to walk back- 
wards. ‘These larve are met with in great abundance in sandy 
places very much exposed to the heat of the sun. There they con- 
struct for themselves a sort of funnel in the sand (Fig. 401), by 

