Male Genital Armature 83 



greatly enlarged and serve as claspers, holding the 

 abdomen of the female during sexual union (fig. ^f). 

 Butterflies and moths have the inner surface of the 

 claspers beset with teeth and ridges (Jmrpes), which 

 fit accurately the sculpture on the seventh abdominal 

 segment of the female of the same species (52, 92). 

 In the males of these insects, moreover, the tenth 

 tergite and sternite are specially modified for use as 

 a genital forceps, which works vertically. A very 

 remarkable peculiarity is shown by the male Dragon- 

 flies, which have their organs of copulation on the 

 second abdominal segment instead of at the tail-end, 

 like all other insects (fig. 1 12). The sperm-duct, 

 nevertheless, opens as usual behind the ninth sternite, 

 and the insect is able to bend his long abdomen 

 forward, and so to transfer the sperm-cells to the 

 second segment. 



We have seen that the head-segments and their 

 appendages are highly modified in connection with 

 the insect's outlook on its surroundings and its 

 manner of feeding ; those of the thorax in connec- 

 tion with the method of its locomotion. The front 

 segments of the hind-body, enclosing the digestive 

 organs, remain simple in form ; but the hindmost 

 segments undergo extreme modification so as to 

 ensure those functions of pairing and egg-laying, 

 whereon depend the continuance of the race. 



