614 



INSECTA. 



very onlliant. [They are called Japan-Moths.] A. De Gecrella, Reaumurclla, &c. 

 plate of Moths in the Entomologist's Text Book.] 



fThe former figured in the 



The tenth and last section of the Nocturnal Lepidoptera, that of the Pterophorites, lias great 

 affinity with the preceding in the narrow form and length of the body and wings, but differs in having 

 the wings slit through their whole length, like branches, or bearded fingers, like feathers. Their wings 

 thus imitate those of birds. Linnaeus united them in his division of P/ialcena Alucita. De Geer named 

 them Phal&nce-Tipulce. 



We form them, with Fabriciusand Geoffroy, into the subgenus Pterophorus, the caterpillars of which have sixteen 

 feet, and feed on leaves and flowers, and do not form a case. The palpi are recurved from the base, and not longer 

 than the head ; the chrysalides are naked, setose, or tubercular. P. pentadactylus, Linn., the White Plumed 

 Moth. A very common species. 



Unicodes, Latr., has the palpi advanced, longer than the head, and the chrysalis is inclosed in a silken cocoon, 

 P. hexadactylus, Linn., &c. 



THE ELEVENTH ORDER OF INSECTS,- 



THE RHIPirTERA,— 



Previously established by Mr. Kirby under the name of Strepsiptera (or Twisted Wings), 

 [and which has been fully proved by recent observations to have been correctly named, and 

 that Latreille's name, Rhipiptera, ought no longer to be applied to it], is composed of some 

 very singular insects, anomalous both in their structure and habits. 



At the sides of the anterior extremity of the thorax, near the neck, and at the outer base of 

 the two fore-legs [but in reality originating upon the very short and collar-like mesothorax], 

 are attached a pair of small, crustaceous, moveable organs, like small elytra, bent backwards, 

 narrow, elongated, clubbed, and curved at the tip, and terminating at the origin of the wings. 

 [Latreille then contends that these pre-balancers are not representatives of the elytra, but of 

 the pieces termed ptergodes, observed at the base of the wings of the Lepidoptera ; but it 

 has been proved that they are the real representatives of elytra.] The wings of the Rhipiptera 

 are large, membranous, divided by longitudinal nervures, and folding lengthwise, like a fan. 

 The mouth is composed of four pieces, of which two are short, and appear like a pair of two- 

 jointed palpi; and the other two are inserted near the inner base of the preceding, in the form 

 of small linear plates, pointed, and crossing each other at the tip, like the mandibles of many 

 insects ; they more nearly resemble the lancets of the mouth of some Diptera than true man- 

 dibles. According to Savigny, the mouth is composed of a labrum, two mandibles, two maxillae, 

 each supporting a pair of small exarticulate palpi, and of a lower lip without palpi.] The head 

 is further furnished with a pair of large hemispherical eyes, somewhat pedunculated ; two 

 antennae, approximating at the base on a common elevation, nearly filiform, short, and com- 

 posed of three joints, the two first being very short and the third very long, divided from its 

 base into two long compressed branches, which are applied against each other. The ocelli 

 are wanting. The thorax [supposed by Latreille to bear] in its form and divisions much 

 resemblance to that of many Cicadce, Psylla, and Chrysis, [is now shown to be quite anomalous 

 in its structure, consisting of a ring-like pro- and meso-thorax, and an immense metathorax] ; 

 the abdomen is subcylindric, 8- or 9-jointed, and terminated by appendages analogous to 

 those of the above-mentioned Hemiptera. The legs, six in number, are nearly membranous, 

 compressed, of nearly equal size, and terminated by filiform tarsi composed of four mem- 

 branous joints, vesiculose at their tips, the last being rather larger than the others, without 

 terminal ungues. The four fore-legs are close together, but the two others are placed far 



