LIBRARY

380
COLLEGE ENTOMOLOGY
empodium, which becomes pad-like and greatly reduced in the later inst.ars.
They are predacious in habit and stalk their prey on the surface of the ground or
more often on trees and smaller plants. They are called aphis wolves from their
habits of feeding upon aphids, but they also devour scale insects, especially.
mealybugs, white flies, psyllids, members of other homopterous groups, and
small insects in general as well as mites. Their general habits and movements
are also very much like those of the chrysopids. Pupation takes place in a thin,
FIG. 132. The brown lacewing, Symplterobius angustatus (Banks).
often lace-like, oval cocoon hidden in crevices or under scales of bark, in the
litter on the ground, or even in the soil.
The family is composed of at least. 25 genera and 220 species distributed
throughout the entire world and is especially well represented in the north
temperate regions.
Hemerobius humulinus Linn., and H. marginatus Stephens are common both
to Europe and North America. H. conjunctus Fitch, H. hyalinatus Fitch, H. moestus
Banks, and H. pact'ficzes Banks are widespread in North America. H. pini
Leach, Micromus angulatus Stephens, M. variegatus Fab., and M. paganus
(Linn.) are also European. The latter species has a wing expanse of 18-27 mm.
M. angulatus Stephens, M. posticus Banks, and M. variolosus Hagen are North
American, and M. lasmani;e Walker is Tasmanian. The genus Drepanopteryx
Leach is European and Asiatic, Boriomyia Banks occurs in North America and
New Zealand, and Megalomus Rambur in North America and Australia. The
family is well represented .in Japan by the genera Hemerobius, Micromus,
Eumicromus, Ninguta (Ninga), and Drepanopteryx.