. A manual for the study of insects. Insects. 54 THE STUDY OF IiVSECTS, The larval stage is devoted to growth; the sole business of a larva being to eat and grow. All molting, because of in- creased size, is done in the larval stage, later molts are simply for change of shape. The Pupa.—This is the third stage in the life of an in- sect, and is ordinarily a period of inaction, except that rapid and wonderful changes go on within the body. Very few pupae, like those of mosquitoes, are active. Usually pup^ have no power of moving around, but many of them can squirm when disturbed. When the last
. A manual for the study of insects. Insects. 54 THE STUDY OF IiVSECTS, The larval stage is devoted to growth; the sole business of a larva being to eat and grow. All molting, because of in- creased size, is done in the larval stage, later molts are simply for change of shape. The Pupa.—This is the third stage in the life of an in- sect, and is ordinarily a period of inaction, except that rapid and wonderful changes go on within the body. Very few pupae, like those of mosquitoes, are active. Usually pup^ have no power of moving around, but many of them can squirm when disturbed. When the last skin of the larva is thrown off the pupa is re- vealed ; it is an oblong object, Fig. 6t.—A pupa of a larsre moth. i r ii i i " ^ ' "^ and frequently apparently headless and footless. In many pupae the skin is a shiny covering like porcelain. If a pupa be examined closely the antennae and legs and wings may be seen ; these are folded up closely and soldered to the breast in the case of tne moths and butterflies (Fig. 65), but free in case of the bees, ants, and beetles. The Chrysalis,—This term is often applied to the pupa of a butterfly. The word is derived from a Greek word mean- ing gold, and came into use because of the golden dots and markings on many of the butterfly pupae. The Cocoon,—Many larvae, especially those of moths, when full grown, spin about the body a silken case, so that when they change to helpless pupae they may be protected from enemies, and from rain and snow ; these silken cases are called cocoons. They are frequently made within a rolled leaves (Fig. 66), or beneath grass and rubbish on the ground, or \\\ cells below the ground. Some hairy caterpil- lars make cocoons largely of their own hairs, which they fasten together with a film of silk. The Nymph,—The terms larva and pupa are only ap- plied to the early stages of those insects that have a com-. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have be
Size: 2321px × 1076px
Photo credit: © Central Historic Books / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectinsects, bookyear1895
