390 



rationen immer niir aiif' diese Stadiën selbst wieder übertragen 

 werden, die andern Stadiën aber unbehelligt davon bleiben" 

 (see p. 6 sqq. chapter II). 



If the first larval instar as well as the pupa both show primitive 

 conditions, it may be that the colour pattern borne by both, is 

 80 old that it also appears in other orders of insects. In that 

 case it has already been obtained before the separation of the 

 different orders, i. e. in the nnder-carbonic period. Considering 

 that the families of Lepidoptera were separated, according to 

 Handlirsch (1906), in the cretaceous period, and hence the genera 

 and species still later, no great result can be a priori expected from 

 such an investigation. In the following I intend to discuss the orders, 

 which are in some way related, although I think tliat such a dis- 

 cussion has only a very relative value, if it is not supported by a 

 very extensive investigation. But for that I lacked time and material. 



Handlirsch thinks that the Panorpata are in some respects 

 to be considered as the ancestral form of the Lepidopfera. It is 

 certainly of great value, that J. Botke (1916) came to the same 

 conclusion through his investigation of the colour-pattern of the 

 Lepidoptera^ diftering in this from de Meijere (1916). 



Having explained in chapter VI that in diiferent ftimiliei^, in- 

 dependently of each other, verrucae have appeared, and directed 

 attention to the fact that sometimes within tlie precincts of one 

 family rather important differences in the sotal pattern occur 

 (e. g. Hepialidae^ Fterojj/toridae, Pieridae)^ it is not to be expected 

 that other orders should show the same pattern. 



Tlie existing illustrations of the larvae of the Panorpatae^ 

 New-optendae^ etc. are still less exact than those of the Lepi- 

 dopterous larvae. Besides I think that in the preceding lines I 

 have sufficiently pointed out, how only complete series can give 

 us a good idea of the real character of the setal pattern and 

 that conclusions, reaclied by comparing the full-grown forms 

 only, can easily lead to wi-ong liypotheses. It is therefore with 

 the greatest reserve that I tsubmit the following remarks on 

 the setal pattern of insect-larvae. 



