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Updated: May 1, 2025
A half-eaten mosquito hung out of its mouth, and, although the dragon-fly was sadly bruised, it continued its meal, much to the amusement of Lucien, who hardly expected to find such tiger-like habits in an insect so elegant in form and so harmless in appearance. "It is of the order Neuroptera," I said to him; "thus called because of the veins on its four wings.
Again, his studies lead him to that gorgeous inhabitant of the South, the butterfly-like Ascalaphus, with its resplendent wings, and slender, knobbed antennæ so much like those of butterflies, and visions of these beautiful insects fill his mind's eye; or sundry dun-colored caddis flies, modest, delicate neuroptera, with finely fringed wings and slender feelers, create doubts as to whether they are not really allies of the clothes moth, so close is the resemblance.
Dawson, they show a remarkable union of characters now found in distinct orders of insects, or constitute what have been named "synthetic types." Of this kind is a stridulating or musical apparatus like that of the cricket in an insect otherwise allied to the Neuroptera. This structure, as Dr. Dawson observes, if rightly interpreted by Mr.
Hagen's "Synopsis of the Neuroptera of North America," published by the Smithsonian Institution. This group is a most interesting one to the systematist, as it is composed of so many heterogeneous forms which it is almost impossible to classify in our rigid and at present necessarily artificial systems.
Before considering the changes from the mandibulate form of insects to those with mouth parts adapted for piercing and sucking, we must endeavor to learn how far it was possible for the caterpillar or maggot to become evolved from the Leptus-like larvæ of the Neuroptera, Orthoptera, Hemiptera and most Coleoptera.
Semi-pupa. Advanced Semi-pupa. 208. Pupa. Still how did the perfect metamorphosis arise? We can only answer this indirectly by pointing to the Panorpa and Caddis flies, with their nearly perfect metamorphosis, though more nearly allied otherwise to those Neuroptera with an incomplete metamorphosis, as the lace-winged fly, than the insects of any other suborder.
Among other beneficial insects belonging to the Neuroptera, is the immense family of Libellulidæ, or Dragon flies. They prey on smaller insects, and the males are armed at the extremity of the body with an enormous forceps-like apparatus. The Insects of August. They are nearly all injurious to crops, as they live on the sap of plants, stinging them with their long suckers.
In all these particulars, the mandible of Lepisma is comparable with that of certain Coleoptera and Neuroptera. So also are the maxillæ and labium, though we are not aware that any one has indicated how close the homology is. The accompanying figure of the maxilla of a beetle may serve as an example of the maxilla of the Coleoptera, Orthoptera and Neuroptera.
The eggs are laid few in number, either singly or several together, on the under side of stones, chips or, as in the case of Isotoma Walkerii, under the bark of trees. They are round, transparent. The development of the embryo of Isotoma in general accords with that of the Phryganeidæ and suggests on embryological grounds the near relationship of the Thysanura to the Neuroptera.
The head is in form much like that of certain larvæ of Neuroptera and of Forficula, an Orthopterous insect. The antennæ are usually four-jointed, and vary in length in the different genera. The mouth-parts are very difficult to make out, but by soaking the insect in potash for twenty-four hours, thus rendering the body transparent, they can be satisfactorily observed.
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