Florissant - Fossil Ecosystems of North America: A Guide to the Sites and their Extraordinary Biotas - page 214

account for about 10 species. Ants ( 243 ) are
social insects, like the termites, but are
carnivores and herbivores, some growing
fungus gardens for food. Like the termites,
workers are more numerous than other
castes, but wingless, so much less likely to be
preserved as fossils.
The remaining insects fall into the
group known as Panorpida, which
includes butterflies and moths, caddisflies,
fleas, and true flies. Recent Mecoptera

(scorpionflies) are, like the Neuroptera
(lacewings), remnants of a once much
richer diversity in the past. Their abdomens
are upturned at the end like a scorpion's
tail. Four species have been recorded from
Florissant. The true flies (Diptera) have
a much greater modern diversity, and
at Florissant there are representatives
of the crane flies (Tipulidae, 244 ),
dance flies (Empididae), and midges
(Chironomidae), with their aquatic larvae.

243

243 Winged ant Miomyrmex
impactusHymenoptera:
Formicidae NHM. Length
17 mm 0.7 in.

244

244 Crane flies, such as this
TipulaDiptera: Tipulidae, are
the most diverse flies at
Florissant NHM. Wingspan
about 40 mm 1.6 in.