Family CAPNIIDAE 
Small brown or blackish nymphs, under 10 mm. in body length. 
They are true herbivores and largely inhabit the small upland 
spring brooks. The life cycle is completed in one year. Antennae 
and cerci are long and slender; second tarsal segment much 
shorter than first; third tarsal segment at least twice as long as 
first and second combined. Legs with a sparse fringe of long 
hairs. Gills absent. Mouth parts similar to those of the Nemouri- 
dae. Wing pads when present lie parallel to the body, and the 
hind are wider than the front ones. In the males, the last ab- 
dominal tergite ends in a conical projection, while in the female 
nymphs it is only slightly produced, and broadly rounded. 
Genus CAPNIA Pictet 
The nymphs of this genus resemble those of Allocapnia, but 
differ in the shape of the wing pads. The metathoracic wing pads 
are similar to the mesothoracie ones except that they are a little 
wider. The anal field of the hind wing pad is narrow and short, 
only reaching a little beyond the middle of the wing pad. Since 
the nymph of only one species (C. vernalis Newpt.) is known it 
is impossible to give an adequate description of the genus. Capnia 
is essentially a western genus, eighteen of the nineteen described 
species being known from the Rocky Mountains and the western 
states. Of these not a single species has been reared. I have several 
western nymphs before me but they are not fully mature and 
cannot be specifically determined. C. vernalis, the only species 
of the genus occurring east of the Rocky Mountains, has been col- 
lected in a number of places in New York State, where the adults 
may be found during March and April. Since C. vernalis is a 
herbivore, it is probably safe to assume that all the species within 
this genus are herbivorous. 
Capnia vernalis Newport 
(Plate 10, figs. 159-163; plate 30, fig. 217.) 
Length of body up to 7.5 mm.; antennae up to 3.6 mm.; cerci 
up to 4 mm. 
General color brown, becoming darker as the nymphs near 
maturity. 
Head a little wider than pronotum; rather sparsely coated 
with long hairs; surface quite smooth; hind ocelli about twice as 
