282 



STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The Larva (plural larvse). In this immature and growing stage (0 and 

 D of Fig. 1) the insect is a voracious feeder. These larvse are very small 

 when they first hatch from the egg and for some time they are not noticed; 

 but as they grow larger and eat more they are more conspicuous and their 

 injury is proportionally greater. 



Larvse are commonly spoken of as " worms." This should not be, for 

 true worms, such as the angle worm and tape worm, are not insects at all, 

 and we misuse the term. There are names by which different forms of the 

 larval stage are recognized that are perfectly appropriate and proper to 

 use. For instance, we speak of the larvse of beetles, which work in the 

 ground, as grubs; the larvse that bore in wood, as borers; the larvse of but- 

 terflies and moths, as caterpillars, and of some moths as loopers or 

 Geometers; the larvse of the two -winged flies, as maggots, and the larvse of 

 saw flies, as slugs. 



The larval period varies greatly with different insects. It is passed by 

 most species in from one to two months in the summer, while others pass 

 through it in a few weeks and still others remain as larvse over winter, or 

 even for several years (as some of the borers) before passing to the next 

 stage. 



Fig. 2.— Transformation of Plant Bag. 



The Pupa (plural pupse). (See E of Fig. 1). This is known as the 

 chrysalis with the butterfly, and with some insects, as the unfledged grass- 

 hopper, the nymph. It is a condition in which most insects are, to all 

 external appearances, dormant and lifeless, but, inside, there is a great 

 transformation in progress, which will soon change the ugly caterpillar 

 into a beautiful butterfly and the maggot into a fly. Sometimes the larva 

 builds a fine silken cocoon in which to pupate, sometimes it merely draws 

 some leaves around itself and sews them together for the same purpose, 

 though usually it makes a cell in the earth below the surface and trans- 

 forms in it. The length of time in this stage is quite variable, as they 

 often remain thus a large share of the year, including winter. 



