38 



Marvels of Insect Life. 



Photo bv] [H. BastiH. 



The Goat-AIoth"s Enemy. 



The life-storv of the goat-moth is often cut short 

 by this parasite, wliich in the grub state feeds 

 upon the caterpillar and chrysalis, and kills it. 

 The figures are of the male (above) and female, 

 and are slightly less than the actual size. 



I'hiiti, hy] I. / . '/"iiAC r.r.s. 



The Goat-.Motii. 



Here the moth is seen of the natural size, resting 

 after emergence from the chrysalis. Its brown- 

 grey colouring so nearly resembles the appear- 

 ance of the bark that it is not at all conspicuous. 



The family ^ to wliicli they bclont^ have been 

 well-called robber-flies, and they appear to attack 

 an\'thing that comes m their way. 



The grub of the hornet-fly is much like that 

 of the gad-flv. It lives in the ground, and, like 

 its mother, at the expense of other Insects, the 

 grubs of beetles being among its more frec]uent 

 victims. 



The Goat Moth. 



Often during a country ramble the ento- 

 mologist can surprise a companion by declaring 

 that a tree in the immediate neighbourhood is 

 being destroyed by the caterpillars of the goat- 

 moth.- If the other knows that the goat-moth 

 caterpillar is an internal feeder the assertion may 

 appear rather rash, for even caterpillars that 

 are four inches long cannot be seen through the 

 bark of a tree. But the caterpillar in this case 

 gives off a strong odour like that of the male 

 goat, and by some persons its fragrance can 

 be distinguished at a distance. In the neighbour- 

 hood of an infested tree in autumn one may meet 

 with great, full-grown caterpillars marching across 

 a road in order to find a suitable situation in which 

 to spin a cocoon and turn to a chrysalis. It is 

 remarkable that so big a caterpillar may do this 

 with impunity, but it is more than probable that 

 its odour is sufficiently offensi\'e to protect it from 

 attack. Its colour is a pinkish yellow along the 

 sides, which merges into polished dark red along 

 the back. It spends about three years boring 

 tunnels into the heart of sound trees, including 

 poplar, willow, oak, elm, and ash. Before each 

 winter it hollows out a space in its tunnel and spins 

 a comfortable temporary cocoon, in which it lic>s 

 inactive during the cold weather. When lull-led 

 it leaves its burrow, and seeks about for light, loose 

 material in which to spin its final cocoon. 



The chrysalis is mahogany-coloured, an inch 

 and a-half long. There is a line of short, hard spines 

 on the back of each segmtMit, and these enal)]c the 

 chrysalis to wriggle half out ot its cocoon, so that 

 the moth emerges clear ot it. The female is a much 



1 Asilid?c. ^ Trypan'.is cossus. 



