LEPIDOPTEKA. 



G03 



cells. The species inhabit South America ; they build their nests on the summit of trees, or in tluir cavities. 

 The honey ofM. Amaltkea is very agreeable, but very fluid, and soon becomes corrupt. It furniahea to the Indiana 

 a spirituous liquid, of which they are very fond. It appears that some species of Melipona have been found in 

 the island of Sumatra. M. Cordier possesses a piece of amber, inclosing a specimen of M. Amaltkea. 'I 

 Hon whether this insert was not inclosed in gum copal, or anime, and not in amber. I have seen many Me!i- 

 pini.e ini'lused in the lchiu amine.] 



The species without teeth iii the mandibles are Melipona proper; those with teeth form the genua Trii/ana. 



[The recent work of the Comte de Saint Fargeau, forming part of the .Suites de Buffo*, must be consulted, as 

 well as the tenth volume of the Encydope'dle Mitkodique, for many additional facts and genera established 

 relative to the family of the Bees. Also the work of Dr. Bevan on the Honey Bee, and the volume on Beea in the 

 NatwraHtf* Library i whilst the Monographia Apum Anglice of Mr. Kirby may be mentioned as one of the most 

 perfect examples of an entomological monograph which has ever been published.] 



THE TENTH ORDER OF INSECTS,— 



LEPIDOPTERA, Linn. (Glossata, Fabr.),— 



Terminates the series of those which have four wings, and presents to us two characters which 

 are especially peculiar to it. 



The wings are cow-red on both surfaces with small coloured scales, similar to a farinose 

 powder, which comes off on being touched. A proboscis, or tongue, rolled up in a spiral 

 direction between two palpi, clothed with scales or hairs, forms the most important part of 

 the mouth, and with which these insects draw up the nectar of flowers, which is their only 

 nourishment. We have seen, in the remarks on insects in general, that tins proboscis is 

 composed of two tubular filaments, representing the maxillae, each bearing at its base ester* 

 nally a very small palpus, like a tubercle. The visible palpi, or those which form a kind of 

 sheath to the tongue, replace the labial palpi of masticatory insects, being cylindrical, or 

 conical, generally turned upwards, 3-jointed, and inserted upon a fixed labium, which forms 

 the portion of the lower part of the oral cavity below the proboscis. Two minute piece-, 

 situated one on each side, at the anterior and superior edge of the front of the head, near the 

 eyes, seem to be the vestiges of mandibles; and we also discover, in an equally rudimental 

 form, the labruru. 



The antennae are variable, and always composed of a great number of joints. In many two 

 ocelli are visible, but hidden beneath, the scales of the head. The three segments of winch 

 the thorax of hexapod insects tS Composed, are united into a Single body, the first being \cry 



short, and the two others confounded together. The scutellum is triangular, but pointed 



towards the head ; the wings are simply veined, and variable m figure, size, and position. In 



many the hind pan have several longitudinal folds towards the inner edge; at the base of 



each of the upper wings is a puce like an epaulette, prolonged behind, which corr e spo nds 



with the tegula of the I Iymenoptera ; lint, in Us more developed state in tins order. I call it 



tin- pterygoda. The abdomen, composed of six or seven joints, is attached to the thorax bj a 

 very small portion of its diameter, and is furnished w itfa neither stin;,' nor ovipositor analog) 



to that of the Ilunenoptcra. In many females, however, ;is in CoSSUB, the terminal segments 

 are elongated and aalTOWed, SO as tO form an oviduct, like a pointed and retractile tad. The 

 tarsi have constantly fire joints. The species always consist only of males and females; the 

 latter ordinarily deposit their eggs, which are very numerous, upon vegetable snbstam 



upon which the larva- feed, and alter winch the females BOOH he. 



The larva- of Lcpidopterous insects are known under the name of Caterpillars. They ha\e 



six scaly feet, corresponding with those of the perfect bisect, besides from four t<> ten 

 membranous feet, of which the two last are situated at the posterior extremity of tin- body, 



near the anus : those with only ten or twelve feet are called (ieometer-. OT I pen, In. 



