Lepidoptera 229 



nervure ; (V) a two-branched cubital nervure ; (VI, 

 VII, VIII) three simple anal nervures.^ But few cross 

 nervules are present ; these are usually arranged so 

 as to form, in conjunction with the branches of the 

 radial, median, and cubital nervures, a large polygonal 

 discoidal cell. In the lowest families of Lepidoptera 

 the hindwings are closely like the forewings in shape 

 and neuration, but in most cases the latter are larger 

 and more pointed ; the number of anal nervures in 

 the forewings, and of radial branches in the hind- 

 wings, tends to be reduced. In the lowest families 

 a membranous fold (jugum) is present at the base 

 of each forewing, as in Trichoptera. In most other 

 Lepidoptera, union of the two wings of a side is 

 effected by a bristle — the frenulum (fig. 1 25 F) arising 

 from the base of the hindwing and fitting beneath a 

 number of stiff hairs on the lower surface of the 

 forewing. In a fair number of female moths the 

 wings are greatly reduced or quite absent. The 

 legs, provided with spines and covered with hairs 

 and scales, have small haunches, long shins, and five- 

 segmented feet J in some cases the feet are greatly 

 reduced. The hind-body in the Lepidoptera has 

 seven segments only visible, but nine are apparent 

 on dissection, hinged lateral processes on the ninth 

 serving as genital claspers in the male (2, 145)- 



Habits and Life History. — The insects of this 

 order feed almost entirely on honey which they suck 

 from flowers, but a fair number take no food in the 

 perfect state, there being a complete division of 

 labour between the larval and imaginal stages. The 

 families of Lepidoptera popularly distinguished as 



^ The American system of nomenclature is adopted here as corre- 

 sponding best with the other Orders. In most British works the 

 five systems of nervures in the Lepidoptera are called respectively: 

 costal ; sub-costal ; radial ; median ; and internal. 



