362 



pede rather than aid the insertion of such a delicate filament; but, as 

 we shall jwesently see, the act of oviposition is a most intricate and dif- 

 ficult one and these hairs are doubtless sensitive and tactile, and serve 

 the double i^urpose of enabling the moth to feel ber way in the ovarian 

 cell and of temporarily anchoring in the soft wall thereof while the egg 

 is being passed to its destination. It will be seen that this ovipositor 

 is admirably adapted for cleaving through the young fruit, and then 

 running the egg into the ovarian cavity, as will be presently described. 

 The manner in which this ovipositor is worked by the four rods attached 

 to strong muscles is indicated at Fig. GO, C, the two inner rods forming, 



Fig. 60.— A, tip of anal joint and vaaclual projection of 9 Pronuba yuccasella from Ridv, siiowing ovi 

 po.sitor with parts extended; 6, basal joint; c, its file like surface; d, terminal joint with its dorsal .ser- 

 rate wing (/), its dentate tip (e), its ventral membranous outlet {g). and the extended oviduct {hi . B, 

 the same parts further enlarged ; C, ventral viesv of tip of abdomen, showing the two pair of rods i, i 

 and k, I; with their muscular attachments, the parts of the ovipositor similarly lettered as in A ; m. m, 

 eggs taken from Yucca pistil; n, egg, showing development of emhryon; o, mature egg from ovary of 

 9 ; /•, «, genital claspers of c^, lateral and dorsal view— all enlarged, the eggs with the pedicels lather 

 too thick. 



as already indicated, the rigid portion of the ovipositor proper and the 

 imbricate basal portion of the covering facilitating the invagination of 

 the basal part when the ovipositor is withdrawn. The two outer rods 

 are attached to strong, muscular tissue in the walls of the vagina, and 

 when the ovipositor is extended to its utmost limit this vaginal portion 

 is partially extruded so as to appear like a basal snbjoint. More detailed 

 characterization of these parts is unnecessary in this connection. 



