CASE-MOTH OF THE ORANGE. 77 



CHAPTER XXX. 



CASE -MOTH OF THE ORANGE. 



(Metura elongata. Saunders.) 

 Order : Lepidoptera. Section : Heterocera. Family : 'Psychidce. 



This is the well-known large stick-case-moth of our 

 colonists. In structure and in its habits the females of 

 this group are, as Professor McCoy remarks, amongst the 

 most abnormal and singular of all lepidopterous insects. 

 The female (Fig. 6) is a thick, smooth, naked, fleshy, 

 grub-like creature, totally destitute of wings, and having 

 only rudimentary traces of legs, antennae, or eyes. These 

 apterous (wingless) females, which state is attributed by 

 some to disuse, according to the above-named gentleman, 

 never leave the case in which they dwelt whilst in the 

 larval state; but, after meeting the males at the lower 

 aperture of the case, commence to bring forth the young 

 in myriads ; these latter, escaping in crowds, let themselves 

 down, each by a silk thread spun from the lower lip, until 

 they reach a twig or leaf, and then immediately begin to 

 construct each a separate case of tough silk and extraneous 

 materials, such as particles of bark, &c., to protect it 

 during the period of its larval existence. 



I must here express some doubts as to the correctness 

 of the assertion that the female never leaves the case, as 

 good observers have noticed that these do occasionally 

 leave the case, but only for a very short period, and for 

 the purpose of mating with the male. With regard to 

 egg-laying, I cannot say for certain whether eggs are 

 deposited by the females of these insects or not; but the 

 bodies of the females contain vast numbers of eggs, and 

 on our plate we have figured a small cluster of same, as 

 explained elsewhere. 



The larval sacks or cases (see Fig. 2) are open at each 

 end, the male caterpillar coming sufficiently out of the 



