The Insect World: Being a Popular Account of the Orders of Insects

The wools of our stuffs furnish the moths not only with clothing, but also with food. Their excrements are little grains, which are the 'same colour as the wool they have eaten.

When they are full grown, and the time approaches for their

metamorphosis, the larvae abandon their food, and establish themselves in the angles of walls. They creep up to the ceilings and suspend themselves to them by one extremity of their tube. The two ends of the tube are now closed by a silken tissue (Fig. 296). The larva thus enclosed very soon changes its form; it becomes a chrysalis; then at the end of about three weeks it is set free as a moth. The Fur or Skin Moth works like the car])et moth: it makes itself a case of the same form, and constructs it in the same manner. Only in this

Fig. 296. ^^se its covering is made of a sort of felt resembling

CaFeofthe Moth that of which our hats are made. ^^ ^ cloth. ^'^^^ ° While the Carpet Moth only detaches from the various stuffs the wool it requires for clothing and nourishment, the Fur Moth causes much more considerable and more rapid damage. It cuts off all the hairs which are in its way right down to the skin; it seems as if it took a delight in cutting them off. That which is necessar}^ for its wants is nothing in comparison to the great quantity of hair one sees fall off a skin on which it has established itself, when it is shaken. As it advances it cuts more thoroughly than a razor could all the hairs which are in its way.

The Hair Moth (Fig. 297) shows itself in great numbers in the perfect state, from the end of April till the beginning of June. They appear again in September, and generally stay behind cabinets and other pieces of furniture.

Fig. 297.— Hair Moth. The Caterpillar, which is cylindrical, white, destitute of hair, and striped with brown, lives principally in the hair with which furniture is stuffed, and sometimes in hair mattresses. When it has reached its full size, it abandons its abode, pierces through the stuff which covers the hair, and constructs for itself with this stuff a case of silk, open only towards the end where the head is. At the beginning of April it shuts its case, and changes itself into a chrysalis. We can only here mention some of the phytophagous species, as the Cherry-tree Moth {Tinea cerasiella), the Hawthorn Moth {Tinea cratcBgella)^ the Burdock Moth {Tinea laptlla), and the Rustic Moth (Tinea rnsticella ). The caterpillars of the CEcophorcs resemble whitish worms. They attack the leaves, the blossoms, the bark, and certain parts of the fruit of trees. Some of these hollow out for themselves galleries in

eating the fleshy part; others also make galleries, but only in the cuticle of the tree, or in the tende^'est part of its bark. Some, again, shut themselves up in one or many leaves rolled like a trumpet, j while others keep at the summits of plants, whose leaves they bind together in a parcel with threads. And, lastly, some devour the stones of fruits, such as that of the olive.

The moths of these caterpillars are very small, and generally of brilliant metallic colours, they are to be found in the woods, and still more in the orchards, from the beginning of June till the month of September. The CEcophorcR are very slim and elegantly formed. Their anterior wings, which are very narrow, are often ornamented with silvery longitudinal lines, the posterior wings exactly resembling two feathers. The caterpillars live and metamorphose themselves in portable cases, which they manufacture from the membranous portions of leaves, whose flesh alone they eat. These cases are generally of a brown colour, resembHng a dead leaf They are attached perpendicularly under the leaves of many trees, but often under those of fruit trees. Certain species of CEcophorce have cases partly covered with loose pieces only slightly attached, formed of portions of leaves, and arranged in such a way that Reaumur compares them to the furbelows which ladies used formerly to attach to the bottom of their dresses.

284

V.

ORTHOPTERA.

Among the Orthoptera* we meet with some of the largest of insects,*and particularly those which are of strange and extraordinary shapes. The best known insects of this order are the Mantes^ Cockroaches, Earwigs,! Locusts, Grasshoppers, Crickets, &c.

The Orthoptera have the anterior wings long, narrow, half-homy. These are elytra, which serve as cases for their second wings, as is the case with the Coleoptera. But the elytra of the Orthoptera are less solid and less complete than those of the Coleoptera. Moreover, they generally over-lap each other when the insect is at rest, which is another distinctive characteristic. The second wings are membranous, very broad, and veined; and, when at rest, are folded up like a fan. The mouth is composed of free pieces. The mandibles, the jaws, and the two lips, always well developed, show them to be insects which grind their food. Their voracity, and the rapid way in which they multiply, sometimes make these insects the pest of the country. Above all, they are to be met with in hot countries, where they cause such great damage that all vegetation disappears on their passage. There is not a great variety of species of Orthoptera. They are insects whose metamorphoses are incomplete; that is, they undergo only trifling changes from the moment when the eggs are hatched to the time when the insect is fully developed.

When it leaves the egg, the young one resembles its parents; it differs only in size and in having no wings. After moulting four or five times it has almost reached its full growth, and its wings begin to appear under a sort of membrane. This is the pupa state. A final moulting sets free the wings also, and the insect, now perfect, launches itself into the air with its congeners.

• From opQ6s, straight, and TrrepSv, wing, on account of the manner in which the under-wings are folded under the upper. — Ed. t Made a separate Order, Dermaptera^ by Kirby. — Ed.

ORTHOPTERA.

The Orthoptera are vegetable feeders, and frequently commit great ravages on various crops. They are divided into two groups, viz., those which riui^ and those which jump or leap. We will begin with those which run, which contains the Earwig {Forfcu/a), the Cockroach {Blattd), the genus Mantis^ or Leaf Insects, and the genus Phasma. The Forficula^ or Earwig, is represented in Figs. 298, 299, 300, in its three different states. The lower wings are very broad, and folded at the same time like a fan, and doubled up. Its abdomen terminates in a sort of pair of pincers, resembling those which the jewellers formerly used for piercing the ears of young girls as a preparatory step to their wearing ear-rings. Hence, without doubt,

Figs. 298, 299, 300.— Common Earwig {Forficula aurkularia)-\a.xwa, pupa, and imago.

their French name of Perce-oreille, or ear-piercer; for there is nothing to justify the vulgar belief that these insects introduce themselves into the ear, and bore a hole into its interior, through which they may penetrate into the brain; in fact, they are very innocent insects, and do little harm. They live on vegetable matter, and more especially the interiors of certain flowers. " The ForficuIcE a-void the light. They are to be found in the chinks of trees, under bark, and under stones. The female watches over the eggs with maternal solicitude, and carries them away elsewhere when they are touched. She also protects the larvae and pupae till they are strong enough to dispense with all attention.

The Blatt(B, or Cockroaches, are very destructive insects, as the name, derived from the Greek word, MaVreij/, to damage, implies. They are omnivorous, attacking all sorts of dead substances, vegetable

and animal. Horace reproaches them with devom-ing stuffs, like the moths:— ** Cui stragula vestis, j, Blattariim ac tinearum epulae, ■ Putrescit in area." T

These disagreeable insects devour our eatables, abounding in kitchens, in bakers' shops, on board merchant vessels, &c. Their flattened bodies allow them easily to introduce themselves into the cracks of cases or barrels \ so that, to be safe against their attacks, it is necessary, on long voyages, to shut up the goods in zinc-lined boxes, or cases made of sheet-iron well soldered together.

Chamisso relates that the sailors having opened some barrels which should have contained rice and wheat, found them filled with German Cockroaches {Blatta Gennanicd). This transubstantiation was not very agreeable to the crew! Other naturalists have seen this insect invading by millions bottles which had contained oil. The Cockroach is very fond also of the blacking on boots, and devours leather and all. One pupa sometimes eats the skin cast off by another pupa, but a Cockroach has never been known to attack another with a view to eating him afterwards.

These Orthoptera have a flat broad body, the thorax very much developed, the antennas very long, and the legs thin but strong, which enable them to run with remarkable quickness. They diffuse around them a sickening odour, which often hangs about objects they have touched. Aristophanes, the Greek comic poet, mentions this

peculiarity in his comedy of "The Peace." They come out mostly at night, and hide themselves during the day. They are the most L-osmopolilan of all insects. Carried over in ships, they perpetuate everywhere, just like weeds! Persian powder, composed of pulverised pyret/ira^ is an excellent means to employ for their destruction.

Most of the species of cockroaches are black or brownish. Two among them, the Blatta Gerinanica and the Blatta Lapp07iica, which are to be met with in the woods round about Paris, have domesticated themselves in dwellings of the northern countries. They are a quarter of an inch in length. The Russians pretend that the former was imported from Prussia by their army, on its return from Germany, after the Seven Years' War (i 756-1 762). Till this period it was unknown at St. Petersburg, where now-a-days it is met with in great numbers. It lives in houses, and eats pretty nearly everything, but prefers white bread to flour and meat. The Blatta Lapponica devours the smoked fish prepared for the winter.

The German naturalist, Hummel, made some interesting obser-

ORTHOPTERA.

vations on the development and habits of the very prolific Blatta Gernumica. It lays its eggs in a silky capsule, which is in the form of a bean, with two valves in the interior. This is drawn about for some time appended to the extremity of the abdomen, and after a time abandoned.

Hummel placed under a bell-glass a female cockroach and a perfect egg-pouch, which had only just been abandoned by another female. He saw the cockroach approach the bag, feel it, and turn it about in all directions. She then took it between her front legs, and made a longitudinal opening in it. As the opening grew wider, little white larvae were seen to come from it rolled up and attached together. The female presided at this operation. She assisted the larvae to set themselves free, aiding them out gently with her antennae. In a few seconds they were able to walk, when she ceased to trouble herself about them. The larvae change their skin six times before reaching the perfect state. When they come out of their skin they are colourless, but the colour comes in a few minutes. At the fifth moult, which takes place three months I after birth, they become pupae, j with rudimentary wings, the j whole shape of the insect being i well marked. The sixth, or last moult, takes place at the end of six weeks. The pupa is now changed into a perfect insect. I The female is distinguished from the male by the greater size of her abdomen. The most destructive of the Fig. 301.— The Cockroach {Blatta orientalis). Blattce, or Cockroaches, are those which have been imported into Europe by the ships coming from the colonies. The Kaker lac Americana is from an inch to an inch and a quarter long. It infests ships, running about at night over the sleeping passengers, and devouring the food. They are to be met with in all parts of the world. They abound particularly in the warm parts of America. The Blatta orientalis is more commonly met with than the above. It swarms in kitchens, in bakers' shops, provision shops, &c., where it hides in the cracks of the vvalls, or against the hinges of the doors. It is a small hideous animal, of