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Show 76 INSECTA. 't of the abdomen, which of their tarsi, and in the setre of the extreml y are almost wanting( 1 ). • L . Geoff., Insect., II, P. bicaudata; Phryganea b'tcaudata, ·' brown with a yel-xiii, 2. E1. ght h.n es .m 1e ngt h.' of an obscure f 1 thorax. nervures o low line along the middle of the head anc 1 ng as,the antenna:. f h 'l lmost as o the wings brown; setre 0 t e t~l a the banks of rivers(2). Common in Europe in the sprmg along FAMILY III. PLICIPENNES(3). . wanting and the inferior In this family the mandibles ar:thers a:d plaited longitu· wings are usually wider than the dinally. It is formed of the genus PHRYGANEA, Lin. Fab. h the appearance of little These Neuroptera, at a first gla~~ a;e papillonacees or papillo· Phalrenre, and heoce the name o oRuc tea De Geer even ob· d them by eaumur. naceous flies, bestowe upon . . f their larv-re bears the closest h · ternal orgamzatlon o serves that t em . Th . h ad is small and pre· h f caterp11lars. eir e resemblance to t at 0 11 1 ng and salient; rounded sents two setaceous antennre~ usua y L'veryh o d. a curved or conical . • two ocelh on the .ore ea ' and salient eyes, .11 commonly very long, f 1 i those of the max1 re h labrum; our pa P ' d osed of five joints, and l e filiform, or almost setaceous an comp (1) See Lat., Gen. Crust. etlnsect., III, P· 21 0 ; orI V., Encyc . M~thod., article Nemoure; Phryganea nebulosa, L., &c. (2) Geoff. and Lat., Ibid. . ach this family forms the order of ( 3) In the systems ~f Me:~ Kirby :~;e~~ith that of the Lepidoptera, through the Tn.xcaol'TERJ., which wo connec I • . es to the Perla:, by follow· the Tinea:. llut as we naturally pass from the Pli~lpendnt t mi'nate the Neurop· ing the series of mutual re1 a tl·o ns, we sh ould be 1orce .o fe r nd habits differ tera with the Libellula: and Ephemera:, w~ose orgadi~lza tioont~s method follow greatly from those of t h e H yme noptera' which accor nhg' h 'n our system come the Neuroptera. The Libellula: and other Neuroptera, ~ lC I t nearly to the • directly after, appear to us to b e t h ose wh 'I Ch approx1mate mos Orthoptera. NEUROPTERA. 77 labials of three, the last of which is somewhat the thickest; maxillre and a membranous labium united. The body is most frequently bristled with hairs and, with the wings, forms an elongated triangle, like several of the Nocture and Pyrales. The first segment of the thorax is small. The wings are simply veined, usually coloured, or almost opaque, silky or pilose in several, and always strongly tectiform. The legs are elongated, are furnished with small spines and have five joints in all the tarsi. These Insects chiefly fly at night or during the evening, diffuse a disagreeable odour, frequently penetrate into houses, where they are attracted by the light, and are extremely quick and agile in all their motions. In coition they are joined end to end and remain so a long time. The smaller species flit about in flocks over ponds and rivers. Several females carry their eggs in a greenish bundle at the posterior extremity of their abdomen. De Geer saw some of these eggs which were enclosed in a glairy substance resembling the spawn of a Frog, and deposited on plants or other bodies on the banks of rivers, &c. Their larvre, called by some of the older naturalists Ligniperdes and by others Charrees, always, like the Tinece, inhabit tubes that are usually cylindrical, covered with various substances which they find in the water, such as blades of grass, bits of reeds, leaves, roots, seeds, grains of sand, and even little shells, and frequently arranged symmetrically. They connect these various bodies with silken threads, the source of which is contained in internal reservoirs similar to those of Caterpillars, and that are also produced by fusi situated in the lip. The interior of the habitation forms a tube which is open at both ends for the intromission of water. The larva always transports its domicil along with it, protrudes the anterior extremity of its body while progressing, never quits its dwelling, and when found to do so, returns to it voluntarily when left within its reach. These larvce are elongated and almost cylindrical; their head is squamous and furnished with stout mandibles and a little eye on each side; they have six feet, the two anterior shorter and usually thicker than the others which are elongated. Their body is composed of twelve rings, the fourth of which is furnished on each side with a conical mammilla; the last is terminated by two moYable hooks. In most of them we also observe two ranges of white membranous and extremely flexible threads which seem to be organs of respiration. When about to become nymphs, they fix their tubes to different bodies, but always in water, and close the two orifices with a grating, |
