NEUROPTERA—MALLOPHAGA—EMBIIDAE
Order III. Neuroptera.
Imago with biting mouth; with two pairs of wings, the anterior as well as the posterior membranous, usually with extensive neuration, consisting of elongate nervures and either of short cross-nervules forming numerous cells or of a complex minute mesh-work. (One division, Mallophaga, consists entirely of wingless forms; in Termitidae some of the individuals of each generation become winged, but others do not: except in these cases adult wingless forms are few.) The metamorphosis differs in the several divisions.
Fig. 212.—Osmylus chrysops, New Forest.
The Neuroptera form a heterogeneous, though comparatively small, Order of Insects, including termites, stone-flies, dragon-flies, may-flies, caddis-flies, lace-wings, scorpion-flies, ant-lions, etc. Bird-lice are also included in Neuroptera, though they have no trace of wings.
We treat the Order as composed of eleven distinct families, and, as a matter of convenience, arrange them in five divisions:—
1. Mallophaga.—Permanently wingless Insects, living on the bodies of birds or mammals. (Development very imperfectly known.) Fam. 1. Mallophaga.
2. Pseudoneuroptera.—Insects with wings in adult life (in some cases wings are never acquired). The wings are developed in a visible manner outside the body. There is no definite pupa. Live entirely on land. Fam. 2. Embiidae; 3. Termitidae; 4. Psocidae.
3. Neuroptera amphibiotica.—Wings developed as in division 2. Three ocelli usually exist. Life aquatic in the early stages. Fam. 5. Perlidae; 6. Odonata; 7. Ephemeridae.