AN INSECT. 9 



I'ng till it reaches the adult stage. There are two 

 types of metamorphosis (i) Perfect or Complete; 

 (2) Imperfect or Incomplete, (i) Perfect Meta- 

 morphosis. There are three stages: (a) larva; 

 (b): pupa; (c) : adult. (Plate 2, Fig. 4). When 

 the larva hatches from the egg it is quite unlike its 

 parents, and may assume one of three forms (a) a 

 Caterpillar, (bj a Grub, (c) a Maggot. 



Larvae shed their skins or moult a number of 

 times. The number of moults is five or six, but 

 the larva of the dragon fly moults from ten to 

 fifteen times. After each moult the larva has in- 

 creased in size. 



Types of Larvae. — (a) A Caterpillar (Plate 35, 

 Fig. i) has a long cylindrical body made of a num- 

 ber of ringed segments. It has three pairs of horny 

 legs, one pair on each of the first three segments 

 of the body. Also there are usually four p?.hs of 

 fleshy legs or prolegs. These are found further 

 back and are necessary to support the long body 

 of the caterpillar. On the last segment is a pair 

 of anal claspers, and these are sometimes very 

 powerful organs for clinging to twigs, etc. ; ex. : the 

 caterpillars of the Emperor Gum Moth, or Privet 

 Hawk Moth. The larvae of moths and butter- 

 flies are caterpillars. The moth larvae, called 

 "loopers," have only two pairs of prolegs, and some 

 of the boring moth-larvse have only rudimentary 

 legs. 



(b) A Grub (Plate 28, Fig. 3 a) is not unlike a 

 caterpillar, but as a rule, it has no prolegs, but three 

 pairs of horny legs in front. The grubs in some 



