New-York tribune., 1901-03-10
SPINNING FLIES.
CURIOUS HABITS OF LITTLE KNOWN
INSECTS.
From Science Gossip.

CaplUe splmnIng
The image state ara certain little pseudo neurop
ttrouS flies of the family Psocida. Some insects
or TINS family are wingless throughout life, and
OF these the little book lice, which are commonly
most people. Those Psocidse with which we
here concerned have not received any popular
name They are winged in the image state, and
are prettily Colored little flies of curious and
pleasing appearance, living often gregariously
on tree trunks. palings. etc, as well as among
the io!"Se OF trees Their spinning habits have
I2TS been known. WestWood gives a statement
communicated to him by Audoun that the lat
,2r naturalist had observed a female winged
PSCCuS weave a web over eggs which she had
deposited in the dcpressons formed by the
veins ot leaves. Hagen OSGD says generally
mat the females cover their eggs with a tissue,
So that they form fiat sjlvery spots; and Me
Lachl2n pS61) states that the eggs are laid in
patches on leaves. bark and other obJ5cts the
.tnaIeS covering them with a web. Further. in
lNN4. Packard mentions having observed Psocids
lay eggs on leaves Of lilac, pear ana horse chest
NUT and he states that they are covered with a
Hat, round web like the Cocoon of a spider.
though only about lire in diameter. The
principal observations. however. are those of
Pierre Huber. published in 1913 and based
TWO Isocids-one with wings OF uniform color
and the other with those organs spotted with
brown. The first individual watched was on the
uI per side of a Cytsus leaf, in the depression
formed by the midrib. where the creature was
making little shining white spot. oval in shape,
and consisting as was seen by means OF
strong lens. Of = great number OF sil6en threads.
placed closely together and variously crossed.
ON examining thc leaf against the light the
six small eggs. Subsequently, on leaves Of trees
OF various kin Is Huber found many such
patches. all covering clusters Of from six 10 four
teen eggs BY placing several 81 the flies under
glass vases. with leaves from the trees which
theA were found p" saw them spin repeatedly.
Observing the whole process rom the laying of
the gas To their final conceaiment by the com
pletfd Silken covering.
Huber observed that fuditi iduals believed to- ie
males were capa ole of spinning. and NcI.acillau
has expressed the opinion that both sexes y iu.
The web. the latter ma tu:aliSt remarks. iS undls
unSuisha5le from thar of spiders, ANA hc adds
tfat j. a number q specimens %" lncI"S-d III
phi oON it viii he found II the end of several
hours that the interior is traversed in all direc-
tons ly numerous lines Of web This cir,um-
StsTce appears to have been noted also 10y : I.
Aaron in the case of Psncus S,NpupctatuS,
caught near Philadelyhia and taken home in
TaIer boxes. II was noticed hl Huber that me
clusters Of eggs had in addition 10 the ordinary
clC 81 fitting covering another protection. little
distance above tn first. Of less Close tissue.
ct imposed o. stronger and longer threads placed
parallel. This upper tent was closed on one side,
but always open On the other; and Huber
thought II might serve az "A pace Of refuge for
the mother. He mentions that the species with
spotted wings always made for its u~n residence
SORT OF .geo conUosel Of long para. .-i threads.
Some Of tn individuals which thus lurE-d under
4 tr-ilis OF silk were believed {" Dec males The
creatures had space beneath their coverings 20
move about little and They could easily escape
when they wished 10 Do So. According 10 Nc
Cook. Psocus purus in America makes q tubular
tentlike Neb IN creVices OF bark etc Under this
web th- insect lives after The manner of a tIhr
weaving spider ard ent"molosl-ts who wish To
capture il have to push il on 10y pr. ssinE upon
the tent. As TO the purpose OF these wells.
Huber thinks that the lines may serve To- warn
the creature Of the approach of enemies; but not
10 protect il from attack. for the tents We're 81
fail that a Gnat might almost break them It is
certain he adds. that Psocids do not lie IN am
busca1e, like spiders. for they not preda-
ccc
With regard to the position ~ the spinning
organs, Huber has made il clear that the threads
come from the mouth. He Mas at considerable
pains in attempting to establish their exact
ftfrr ry.fff = fIff.rflF
count Of the smancss of the flies and the rapid
ity OF their movements After placing some OF
the insects in glass tubes and following them
v in a strong lens, he was inclined 10 believe
that the silk proceeded from the upper lip.
Hagen. however. who examined the lahruln.
found no spinning organ there. and he suggests
that il is probably situated in the tongue.
structure associated ith the lower lip burgess
has since found within The tongue a pair of
peculiar OrganS-lingual glands which open hy
common duct into the mouth near the throat:
and these are thought 10 be concerned with thr
spinning work. Other spinning imag.ncs are
found in the family Embda-. also Pseudo
neuroptera, a sm all group Of insects OF moderate
size, Of no popularity, and imp -r.ectly known
even to entomoIoeiSts. The creatures are said to
be related in certain respects To PsociGs: but
they are disslmilar. having perhaps a slight re-
Semblance to Termitids white ants. with
which also they supposed to have some
lationship. The spinning faculty. though occur
ring in the perfect insect, is better known in the
larVa: and il has been observed. further. in a
form regarded by McLachlan ~ the nymph. The
precise period at which ii is noted, however. is
not Of great Importance. for there is no marked
/ n. t2IusrphOSiS. the insect having much the
same form throughou life. Lucas states that the
larFse Of Embia Mauritanca are found under