3 66 



CHARACTERS OF INVERTEBRATE ANIMALS 



of plume-like portions. Common British species are : the Common 

 Plume- Moth (Pterophorws pterodactylus] and the Twenty- Plume 

 Moth (Alucita polydactyla). 



Fig. 216. Lady-Birds 



i, Cluster of eggs; 2, egg (greatly magnified); 3, larva (mag- 

 nified); 4, actual length of same; 5, 6, pupae; 7, 8, varieties of 

 Two-spotted Lady- Bird (Coccinella bipunctata); 9, Seven- 

 spotted Lady-Bird (C. septempunctata}. 



Order 5. BEETLES (Coleoptera) 



This is by far the largest order of insects, and includes forms 

 which are for the most part easily recognizable, though the name 

 of " beetle " is popularly but erroneously given to members of 



other groups, e.g. to the Cock- 

 roach. "The wings of an aver- 

 age beetle are of very charac- 

 teristic appearance and nature, 

 as may be seen by examining 

 such a typical example as the 

 little Lady- Bird (Coccinella), 

 which is at once known by its 

 conspicuous colouring of black 

 spots on a red ground (fig. 

 216). At first sight such 

 an insect appears to have no 

 wings at all, but every child who has induced a lady-bird to "fly 

 away home ", by persuasive shoves added to an alarming story 

 of domestic calamity, knows better than that. The fore -wings 



are not, however, organs of 

 flight, but horny wing-covers 

 or elytra (see p. 345) stretch- 

 ing back over the abdomen, 

 and abutting against one 

 another in the middle line. 

 They protect the membran- 

 ous hind -wings (fig. 217), 

 which, when not in use, are 

 hidden beneath them, and 

 are not only folded longitu- 

 dinally, as in a Cockroach, 

 but also transversely, a very 

 characteristic feature for 

 beetles. The head is large, and bears a pair of compound eyes, 

 and two antennae varying greatly in shape according to the 



Fig. 217. Stages of Turnip Flea-Beetle (Haltica nemorum} 



i, Adult (enlarged), showing wing-covers and wings spread 

 out ; 2, 3, natural size of same ; 4, 5, eggs (enlarged) ; 6, 7, bur- 

 rows of larvae (enlarged); 8, 9, larva (natural size and enlarged); 

 10, n, pupa (natural size and enlarged). 



