. British insects : a familiar description of the form, structure, habits, and transformations of insects. ful, though not more so than hundreds of otherspecies in Nemocera. The Fly runs actively, but is morenoticeable for its habit of making sudden hops (produced,however, by wings, not legs) in all unexpected larva is terrestrial, and lives in Tipulidce.—This family contains the Daddy Long-legs, Harry Longlegs, or Craneflies, the largestinsects not only in Nemocera, but if length—length ofbody and length of limb—is considered, the largest ofEngHsh Diptera. The Tipulidse
. British insects : a familiar description of the form, structure, habits, and transformations of insects. ful, though not more so than hundreds of otherspecies in Nemocera. The Fly runs actively, but is morenoticeable for its habit of making sudden hops (produced,however, by wings, not legs) in all unexpected larva is terrestrial, and lives in Tipulidce.—This family contains the Daddy Long-legs, Harry Longlegs, or Craneflies, the largestinsects not only in Nemocera, but if length—length ofbody and length of limb—is considered, the largest ofEngHsh Diptera. The Tipulidse are easily to be distin- DIPTERA.—NEMOCERA. 351 guished from the other families in the group by atransverse seam in the thorax, which is not found inthese. The body of the female terminates in a sharp-pointedoviduct; that of the male is abruptly truncated. Theseinsects, while out of their proper place they are among themost awkward of animals, are interesting as examples ofstructure peculiarly fitted for an especial purpose. Every-where but at home the Daddy Longlegs is so encumbered Fig. Daddy Longlegs [Tipvla oleracea), by his long and unmanageable limbs, that his life seemsto be spent in clumsy but successful eflForts to leavethem behind him on every possible occasion and in everypossible place. But the Daddy Longlegs at home isanother creature, and is conspicuous as an example of avery singular mode of locomotion. The larvoe are sub-terranean, feeding on the roots of grass; the female,therefore, seeks grassy meadows where to lay her eggs,Her progress among the long blades is quick and easy,the slender-jointed legs curling round and embracingthese leaves, so that, except for the body being main-tained in a standing rather than a hanging position, the 352 INSECTS. action might be compared to that of the Sloths, or TreeMonkeys, with their prehensile limbs and tail. The destruction occasioned by the larvae is sometimesvery great, though at others the quality of th
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Keywords: ., bookauthorme, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectinsects
