Insects abroad : being a popular account of foreign insects, their structure, habits, and transformations . Ill;. 258.—Eumenes arcuate.(Ulack ami yellow.) USE OF THE JAWS. 483 male. The use of these jaws is at present problematical, for themale Synagris does not use them for labour, the whole of thatbusiness devolving on the female. Neither would they serve thepurpose of weapons. Even the male stag beetles, who really dofight when urged by jealousy, do very little harm to each other,the result of a battle being very much like that of a duel be-tween two ironclads, neither of which can penetrat
Insects abroad : being a popular account of foreign insects, their structure, habits, and transformations . Ill;. 258.—Eumenes arcuate.(Ulack ami yellow.) USE OF THE JAWS. 483 male. The use of these jaws is at present problematical, for themale Synagris does not use them for labour, the whole of thatbusiness devolving on the female. Neither would they serve thepurpose of weapons. Even the male stag beetles, who really dofight when urged by jealousy, do very little harm to each other,the result of a battle being very much like that of a duel be-tween two ironclads, neither of which can penetrate the armourof the other. Some entomologists think that they are used indetaining the female in case she should prove coy, but as thegreater bulk of male insects have feeble jaws, and many haveno jaws at all, this theory cannot be maintained. Perhaps, whenwe know the use of a mans beard, a lions mane, or a turkeyswattles, we shall learn the object of these enormous jaws. As to the name Synagris, it is utterly absurd when applied toan insect. It is a name employed by Aristotle in his History. Fig. 2*9 —Synagris eornuto(Brownish yellow.)
Size: 1932px × 1294px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectinsects, bookyear1883
