THE LARVA. 15 



h. The second group of larrse — those that are wholly un- 

 like the aehdt — comprises the greater number of species of 



Larva of the Beetle Melolontha [CockcJiafer). 



insects. We might study these larvae under the following 

 heads : 



1. The Substance of the Body ; 2. Its Pahts ; 3. 

 Shape or Figuee ; 4. Clothing ; 5. Coloe. ; 6. Theie 

 EcoNOMT or Mode of Life ; 7. Their Food, Moultings, 

 Growth, Age, Sex ; and 8. Their Preparations for as- 

 suming the Pup^ State. 



1. Substance of the Body. — The body of the larva is, 

 in most cases, much softer than in the perfect insect, and 

 is covered with an elastic membranous skin, thus a gene- 

 ral flexibility and ease of motion is attained which enables 

 their long cylindrical forms to bend and twist along the 

 surfaces of leaves and stems, or worm along through the 

 narrow crevices they often occupy within the solid parts of 

 plants and other animals, or even in the ground. The 

 head and six fore-feet, however, are commonly corneous 

 or horny, thus furnishing more effectual instruments for 

 cutting and grasping. The bodies of larvse are generally 

 opaque, but some, as those of ants and a few lepidoptera, 

 are diaphanous or semi-transparent, while that of a large 

 mosquito {corethra-crystalUna) is as beautifully transpa- 



