. Common Illinois insects : and why they are interesting. Insects -- Illinois. 15. Male Cccropia Moth (Samia cecropia) dries its newly expanded wings before first flight. (Life size) Of all kinds of moth cocoons the most elaborately constructed are those of the Giant Silkworms, Family Saturniidae. The largest member of this Family in Illinois (or in the TJ. S.) is the Cecropia Moth, shown here with the cocoon from which it had emerged a few minutes before the photograph was taken. Moths of the giant silkworm family have degenerate mouth parts that are of no actual use. Adults never eat during
. Common Illinois insects : and why they are interesting. Insects -- Illinois. 15. Male Cccropia Moth (Samia cecropia) dries its newly expanded wings before first flight. (Life size) Of all kinds of moth cocoons the most elaborately constructed are those of the Giant Silkworms, Family Saturniidae. The largest member of this Family in Illinois (or in the TJ. S.) is the Cecropia Moth, shown here with the cocoon from which it had emerged a few minutes before the photograph was taken. Moths of the giant silkworm family have degenerate mouth parts that are of no actual use. Adults never eat during the week or 10 days of their existence since they are concerned only Avdth mating and the production of eggs. The sex attraction and nuptial flights of the males in this group are especially noteworthy. The feather-like feelers are much enlarged in the males and function as organs of smell. With these sensitive organs the presence of a cecropia female moth as much as three miles away may be detected when the wind is favorable. The mat- ing flights of this species occur just before da^vn when a single female mav attract several dozen or even a hundred males. Experiments were conducted near St. Louis by Phil and Xellie Rau in an effort to determine the sensitivity of this and other Saturniid species. Male Cecropias reach- ed the female Avith one half of each antenna off, or with one entirely removed, but none arrived when both feelers were Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Wright, A. Gilbert (Arthur Gilbert), 1909-. Springfield, Il. : Dept. of Registration and Education
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