The Wonderful Ways of Insects and Spiders [ 239 



Some Popular Insects 



BUTTERFLIES INSECTS WITH GLAMOUR 



These lovely winged creatures seem a special gift of nature 

 to children. Many a boy who has been oblivious to outdoor beauty 

 is captivated by the sight of a colorful butterfly perched on a 

 bright flower. Some children go further than merely admiring 

 the appearance of butterflies; they become absorbed in the hobby 

 of collecting them. Taken in the caterpillar stage, these insects 

 may be observed through their metamorphosis into winged adults. 

 Later on the adult insects, captured and mounted, make home 

 exhibits that are a delight to the eye. 



The collector must handle his delicate captives with care. 

 (There will be more about this later on.) Even with careful 

 handling, some fine colored dust comes off the butterflies onto 

 his fingers. If he could examine this dust under a powerful 

 microscope, he would see that it is made up of tiny scales. These 

 cover the insect's wings, overlapping like shingles, and they are 

 often responsible for the striking pattern and brilliant coloring. 



There is wide variety in the size, shape, and habits of different 

 kinds of butterflies. The caterpillars are equally varied: They may 

 be hairy, naked, or covered with spines. Most caterpillars eat their 

 own special choice of leaves and will starve to death if they are 

 given the wrong kind. 



The Beautiful Black Swallowtail: This swallowtail is one of the 

 loveliest butterflies you are likely to find. It lives in almost all 

 parts of the United States and frequents gardens, sipping nectar 

 from the blossoms. In meadows it is most likely to be seen on 

 thistles or the orange-flowered milkweed. Two projections from 

 the margins of its hind wings, which are responsible for its popular 

 name, make it easy to identify. Its color is velvety black, with 

 rows of yellow spots; the hind wings have metallic blue splashes. 

 The female is larger than her mate, and though she has more 

 blue on her wings, the yellow markings on his hind wings are 

 more vivid. 



