274 



CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS 



The anterior wings are membraneous, the posterior pair reduced to "bal- 

 ancers" or halteres. The body is usually compact with the ventral chain 

 of ganglia united into a single mass. The 

 abdomen consists of 5-9 segments. The larva 

 is a footless and often headless grub (maggot) 

 and in the process of metamorphosis is trans- 

 formed into a pupa and finally the imago. 

 The larvae of the mosquitos are aquatic, those 

 of most of the true flies live in decaying organic 

 matter but many are parasitic. In a number 

 of cases the adult is also parasitic. 



588. Order 13. The Siphonaptera or fleas. 

 In this group the wings are wanting through 

 degeneration. Compound eyes are also lack- 

 ing. The body is laterally compressed. The 

 mouth parts are for piercing and sucking. 

 The third pair of legs are used for springing. 

 The larvae are usually free living, the adult an 

 external parasite. 



589. Order 14. The Coleoptera, or beetles, 

 are a very large order. The mouth parts are 

 constructed for biting. The anterior pair of 

 wings are horny, the second pair membraneous. 

 The first pair are called elytra. They fit 

 together to form* a shield over the abdomen 

 and at rest the second pair of wings are folded 

 under them. The larvae have a distinct head 

 with simple eyes and a soft body ("grub 

 worms"). The feet may be wanting. The 

 grub lives in protected situations, underground, 

 under the bark of trees or boring into wood or 

 in other similar places. Metamorphosis in- 

 cludes a pupa stage. 



590. Order 16. The Hymenoptera include 

 the ants, bees and wasps. The mouth parts 

 are adapted for biting. The wings are two 



There are 



FIG. 163. The Lantern- 

 fly of Brazil. Fulgora 

 lanternaria. This odd ex- 

 ample of the Rhynchota 

 is said by the natives to 

 carry a light in the pecu- 

 liar appendage borne on 

 the head. This statement pairs, of a membraneous texture. 



is seriously questioned, two compound eyes and three ocelli. The 

 ofCt h n e Tr females are provided with a sting of a complex 

 known. X 5/4. structure and located at the posterior end of 



