DIFFEEENT CLASSES OF LARV.E. 47 



dragon-fly. Indeed, the larva of one group may closely 

 resemble the perfect condition of another. Thus, any 

 one who will compare my drawing of the youngest 

 larva of Ghloeon^ with that of Gampodea (PL 50) must 

 acknowledge the remarkable similarity which exists 

 between them. 



When Fritz Midler observes that " there were perfect 

 insects before there were larv^," it is probable that he 

 excludes from the term " larv^ " the young of Orthop- 

 tera, to which, however, most English naturalists 

 would unhesitatingly apply it. I presume, therefore, 

 that he confines it to " maggots " and "grubs," perhaps 

 including caterpillars. Brauer draws a broad distinc- 

 tion between the caterpillar form and the Camjyodea 

 form of larva, classifying the former with the grub and 

 maggot types. As, however, I have already pointed 

 out,^ the caterpillars of Lepidoptera agree more closely 

 wath the young of Orthoptera than with those of 

 Diptera. 



It is important to bear this in mind, because, in 

 reference to the passage just quoted from ' The Origin of 

 Species,' much turns on the meaning attached to the 

 word " larva," and the difference there pointed out 

 between the views of different entomologists is partly 

 apparent only, being to a considerable extent due to 

 the different senses in which the word larva is used. 



M. Brauer, in the very interesting memoir to which 

 I have already referred, gives it as his opinion that all 

 existing insects are descended from a common stock 

 resembling the genus Cmnjpodea, and in this I am very 

 much disposed to agree with him. The Gampodea-fovm. 

 occurs, indeed, among the Neuroptera, Orthoptera, 

 Strepsiptera, and Coleoptera ; nay, if we include 

 caterpillars, which, as already mentioned, principally 

 differ in possessiug a heavier body, and consequently 

 less agility, then also among the Hymenoptera and 

 Lepidoptera. 



1 Ibid., PL 17, fig. 1. 



'^ ' Liun. Trans.,' 1863, -p. 05. 



