244 



The Orders of Insects 



hairy. The second median nervure in the forewing is often nearer to 

 the first than to the third, while in the hindwing the sub-costal nervure 

 may closely approach the cell or anastomose with it, being often joined 

 by a cross-nervule to the radial, but it always diverges beyond the cell. 

 The frenulum is sometimes absent. The larvje are of highly char- 

 acteristic form, the prolegs on the third, fourth, and fifth hind-body 

 segments being vestigial or absent. That is to say there are only four 

 functional prolegs, and the caterpillars walk by looping the body and 

 so bringing these four prolegs close up to the six thoracic legs. The 

 pup^ are either naked and buried or enclosed in a light cocoon above 

 ground. The family is world-wide in its range (fig. 135). 



Epiplemidae. — The EplpUmida: are a family of moths nearly 

 . relatedtothe 



GeometridjE, but 

 distinguished by the 

 sub-costal nervure of 

 the hindwing being 

 quite free from the 

 radial, and the fifth 

 radial nervure in the 

 forewing being as- 

 sociated with the 

 first median of 

 which it seems to 

 be a branch. The 

 somewhat hairy 

 la rv E differ from 

 those of the 

 GeometridsE in hav- 

 ing ten prolegs. 



Uraniidae. — The 

 Uraniida are a small 

 family of large and 

 handsome day- 

 flying-moths, akin 

 to the Epipleniidz 

 and Geometridje but characterised by the absence of a frenulum. As 

 in the Epiplemidse, the fifth radial nervure of the forewing is joined to 

 the first median, but in the hindwings there is usually only a single anal 

 nervure. The larvae have ten prolegs and bear pointed tubercles on each 

 segment. The pupa has the first maxillse enclosed in a prominent 

 sheath, and bears a sharp, bent spine at the tail-end. In most of the 

 moths of this family the hindwings are '■ tailed," and the magnificent 

 green and gold wing-patterns of the species of Urania and Chrysiridia 

 render them perhaps the most beautiful of all insects. The family is 

 distributed in Tropical America and the West Indies, East Africa 

 and Madagascar,"^ India, the Malayan peninsula and islands, and 

 tropical Australia. 



Fig. 135. — Geometrid INIoth, Aniphidasys betularia 

 (Linn.), Europe. Light grey type and dark variety. 

 From Carrington, Science Gossip (n.s.), vol. i. 



