. British insects : a familiar description of the form, structure, habits, and transformations of insects. gless female when come tomaturity (see Psyche above, p. 271). This group con-tains the Silkivorms; all those species whose silk iscommonly used in manufacture being fouud here. Thecocoon species of the Emperor Moth is remarkable forits elegant flask-like form. LEPIDOPTERA.—LARV^. 287 In the third group, Noctuina, some have sixteen, four-teen, or twelve legs, the latter walking with a somewhatlooping action, like those of the next family, this family some of the larvae are hu
. British insects : a familiar description of the form, structure, habits, and transformations of insects. gless female when come tomaturity (see Psyche above, p. 271). This group con-tains the Silkivorms; all those species whose silk iscommonly used in manufacture being fouud here. Thecocoon species of the Emperor Moth is remarkable forits elegant flask-like form. LEPIDOPTERA.—LARV^. 287 In the third group, Noctuina, some have sixteen, four-teen, or twelve legs, the latter walking with a somewhatlooping action, like those of the next family, this family some of the larvae are humped, some hairy,some have retractile heads, others are furnished withhorny plates, others garnished with short and stiff hair. Geometrina, the fourth group, is named from thepeculiarity of the larvae. These are the well-known Loopers : Caterpillars which, having legs (true andfalse) only at the two extremities of their bodies, ad-vance by nearly their whole length at each step, whencetheir name, Geometrina, or earth-measurers. TheCaterpillar, fixing its hind-legs to the substance on Fig. 67. ^*i^ v. Larva of a Geometer or Looper Moth (Ennomos), extendedand looped. which it is walking, stretches the body to its full length,takes hold with the fore-legs, and instantly draws thehind-legs close to them : again stretching out the fore- 288 INSECTS. part, the looping process is repeated, and the rapiditywith which the insect progresses is very great. Theapplication of the name is very evident, the act ofmeasuring being irresistibly brought to mind by theirmovements. One family of the Gcometrinee (Ephyridoe) is remark-able for suspending the Chrysalis by silken threads atthe tail and round the body, like the Butterflies. In Pyralidinae the number of legs varies, sixteen orfourteen being the usual numbers. The larvae are de-scribed by Mr. Stainton as having a glassy look,and an unusually bristly look in the few hairs. Someof the larvae are case-bearers, and semi-aquatic, otherslive
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Keywords: ., bookauthorme, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectinsects
