Q4:6 THE HOUSE-BUILDER MOTH. 



when the long hairy covering defends it from being injured by the fall. 

 When the caterpillar is about to change to a pupa it spins a kind of 

 hammock, and lies there until it comes forth as a moth. 



The color and markings of this moth vary considerably. The usual 

 tints are— the thorax brown, the body red, striped with black. The 

 two anterior wings are cream-color, marked with bold patches of 

 a deep brown ; the posterior wings are bright red, spotted with bluish 

 black. 



Perhaps the most curious example of this family is a species which 

 derives its popular name from its habits. 



The House-builder Moth ( Oiketicus SandersH) is common in many 

 parts of the West Indies, and is in some places so plentiful as to do 

 considerable damage to the fruit trees. As soon as the larva is hatched 

 from the eg^ it sets to work in building its habitation, and even before 

 it begins to feed this industrious insect begins to work. The house is 

 made of bits of wood and leaves, bound together with silken threads 

 secreted in the interior. When the creature is smalJ and the house is 

 of no great weight it is carried nearly upright, but when it attains size 

 and consequent weight it lies flat, and is dragged along in that attitude. 

 The entrance of this curious habitation is so made that the sides can 

 be drawn together, and whenever the creature feels alarmed it pulls 

 the cords, and so secures itself from foes. 



The next family derives the name of Geometridse from the mode 

 of walking adopted by the larvse. These creatures have no legs on 

 the middle of the body, and are in consequence unable to crawl in the 

 usual manner. Their mode of progression is popularly and appro- 

 priately termed "looping," and the caterpillars' are called " loopers." 

 When one of these larvse desires to advance, it grasps the object firmly 

 with its fore feet and draws the hind feet close to them, forming the 

 body into an arched shape, not unlike the attitude of a cat which 

 meets a strange dog. The hinder feet then take a firm hold ; the body 

 is projected forward until the fore feet can repeat the process. The 

 whole action of the larva reminds the observer of the leech when 

 crawling. 



The power of grasp and general strength of muscle enjoyed by these 

 larv3e are really surprising. Many of them can seize a branch with 

 their hind feet, stretch out the body nearly horizontally, and remain in 

 that position for hours. Some slight idea of the muscular force requir: 

 ed to perform this action may be gained by grasping an upright pole 

 with the hands and trying to hold the body .out horizontally. Several 

 of these caterpillars are of dull brown hues, and, being furnished with 

 sundry projections in different parts of their bodies, they resemble dried 

 sticks so closely that they can hardly be distinguished from the branches 

 to which they cling. 



