14 Report, 8fc. 



THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BUTTERFLIES 

 AND MOTHS. 



Butterflies and Moths are the two great tribes of lepidopterous 

 or scale-whiged insects, from which scales they derive their varied 

 colourings. The order lepidoptera was formerly divided by La- 

 treille, on the principle of Linnaeus, into three classes. Diurna, 

 crepuscularia and nocturna. The diurna include the butterflies, 

 the crepuscularia include the sphinxes or hawk-moths, and the 

 nocturna the rest of the tribe of moths which always fly after 

 sunset. It is to the numerous differences of these three classes 

 that I shall direct your attention. 



First, as to the preparatory states of lepidopterous insects, the 

 egg, the caterpillar or larva, and the chrysalis or pupa. 



There is no distinct diff'erence between the eggs of the three 

 tribes, though the form and marking differ in the various genera of 

 each, and are useful in determining them. In some genera the egg 

 is circular or globose, in others egg-shaped or conical, in others 

 flask-shaped, and is regularly ornamented with dots, lines, and 

 bars all over its surface. 



In the larva), on the contrary, of the three great classes, we find 

 distinctive features. Thus the larvae of butterflies are never hairy, 

 but always smooth, though sometimes armed with spines or horns. 

 The larvae of hawk-moths are ornamented with a horn slightly 

 curved at the back, whilst the larvaj of the rest of the moths are 

 usually more or less hairy, except in the very minute families. 



In the pupae we have this great diff'erence between butterflies 

 and moths in general, viz., that those of butterflies are never found 

 underground or in a cocoon, but are always suspended in the air 

 by their tails or bodies ; whilst those of moths are either found 

 underground, or in the middle of a thick hairy or silky cocoon. 

 Also the chrysalises (properly so called) of butterflies are angular 

 and often bright coloured, whilst those of moths are cylindrical and 

 usually of a dull brown. 



Now, as to the differences of the "imagines" of butterflies and 

 moths. Here it is that we find the great distinction, that w-hile 

 butterflies have a knob, larger or smaller according to circumstances, 

 on the tip of their antennae, moths have none, hawk-moths having 

 only a hook instead, and thus forming a kind of connecting link 



