Nature biographies; the lives of some every-day butterflies; moths; grasshoppers and flies . The caterpillars of this early summer brood continueto feed and grow, moulting twice more, at intervals of aweek. As they becomelarger the two spiny hornsjust back of the head be-come more conspicuous,and the general colour be-comes a peculiar mottledcombination of greenisholive and gray, the darkercolour being at each end andthe lighter in the middle,as may be seen by referenceto the accompanying pic-tures of these the insect gets toolarge to rest in comfort andsafety upon the midrib
Nature biographies; the lives of some every-day butterflies; moths; grasshoppers and flies . The caterpillars of this early summer brood continueto feed and grow, moulting twice more, at intervals of aweek. As they becomelarger the two spiny hornsjust back of the head be-come more conspicuous,and the general colour be-comes a peculiar mottledcombination of greenisholive and gray, the darkercolour being at each end andthe lighter in the middle,as may be seen by referenceto the accompanying pic-tures of these the insect gets toolarge to rest in comfort andsafety upon the midrib ofthe leaf, it spends its daysupon the twigs, restingquietly for hours, head downward, in such positions asare shown in Figures i8and 19. The colouring of theinsect is such as to suggest a bit of bird dung, and theresemblance is made more marked by its form andthe attitudes it assumes. This resemblance, probably,proves a source of protection from some birds and otherenemies. When the larva becomes full grown, it spins a web ofsilk upon the bark of the twig, upon the leaves of which 15. Fig. 19. — Viceroy Caterpillar resting onPoplar Twig, Another Position. Nature Biographies. it has been feeding. In this it entangles the hooked clawsof its hind legs and hangs downward in the position shownin Figure 20. Here it remains for a while before theskin along the back splits open and is wriggled off, leav-ing the insect suspended in the peculiar form shown inFigure 21. This transition stage is of short duration:
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectinsects, bookyear1901
