INSECTA 491 



for the male prior to mating. The larvae live in the ground and are 

 white and hairless. 



The second suborder, Heteroneura, is more specialized in that the 

 venation of the hind wing has undergone reduction and so presents 

 a venational form very different from that of the Homoneura. Here 

 are included the vast majority of moths and all butterflies. Since the 

 families are distinguished largely on venational characters no attempt 

 will be made to deal with them in a classificatory scheme. 



Among the numerous families of this suborder may be mentioned 

 the Tineid moths — small species still retaining maxillary palpi and 

 possessing narrow fringed wings, with a frenular bristle on the hind 

 wing for coupling purposes. Tinea hiselliella is one of the clothes 

 moths whose larvae can live on the keratin of woollen goods. 



The goat moths (Cossidae) are large moths without maxillary palps 

 and with a frenular coupling apparatus. These are nocturnal, and lay 

 their eggs on trees. Their larvae tunnel in timber, e.g. Cossus. 



Ephestia the flour moth and Plodia the meal moth are most im- 

 portant as pests of stored products, while Chilo is a form whose larva 

 bores into the shoots of the sugar cane in India. Galleria the wax moth 

 inhabits beehives in most parts of the world, having become arti- 

 ficially distributed. These belong to the family Pyralidae. 



Hawk moths (Sphingidae) are large stoutly-built moths whose fore 

 wings are much larger than the hind ones. A further feature is the 

 obliquity of the outer margin of the wings. The proboscis is long and 

 the antennae, which are thick, end in a hooked tip. The larvae have 

 ten prolegs and usually bear an upturned spine or process on the back 

 of the last segment. 



Of slender build are the geometer moths {Geometridae). They are 

 weak in flight and a coupling mechanism is not always present on the 

 wings. Some species, e.g. Cheimatobia the winter moth, are wingless 

 as females. The family gets its name from the fact that in most of 

 the larvae, prolegs are borne by segments six and ten of the abdomen 

 only. Such larvae, in consequence, walk by looping the body, bringing 

 the hind segments near to the thoracic and so appear to be measuring 

 distances along the surface walked upon. 



The owl moths or Noctuidae are the most dominant family of the 

 order. They usually fly at night and to this fact is related their sombre 

 colouring which assimilates the insects to their surroundings when 

 resting during the day. The larvae, are almost hairless, and in such 

 forms as pupate in the ground the pupa is naked. Tryphaena pronuba 

 (Fig. 338) is a common species whose larvae devour roots. The 

 larvae of nearly related species known as cut worms and army worms 

 rank among the worst insect pests of North America. 



In the above mentioned forms, collectively known as moths, the 



