28 Descriptive Zoology. 



The Hawk Moth. This moth is well known by its habit 

 of poising like a humming bird over the flower from which 

 it is extracting the nectar by means of its long sucking 

 tube. It is also called the humming miller, or humming 

 bird moth. The hawk moths have long, sharp-pointed 

 wings and strong powers of flight. Their larvae are usu- 

 ally large green " worms," one of the most common being 

 the so-called tomato worm. The pupa is often plowed up 

 in gardens, and is distinguished by the tongue case, which 

 is bent around to one side of the body, like a pitcher 

 handle. The hawk moths usually fly at twilight. The 

 hawk moths are also called sphinx moths, from the fact 

 that the larva often rests for a long time with the anterior 

 end held erect. 



DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES. 



BUTTERFLIES. MOTHS. 



1 . Day-flying, usually. I . Night-flying, usually. 



2. Wings erect when resting. 2. Wings sloping when resting. 



3. Antennae knobbed. 3. Antennae not knobbed. 



4. Pupa a chrysalid. 4. Pupa (often) in a cocoon. 



Development of Lepidoptera. The egg hatches into what 

 is commonly called a " worm." But no true worm has 

 jointed appendages, while in these larvae each of the first 

 three segments back of the head bears a pair of jointed 

 legs. These three segments become the three segments 

 of the thorax. In addition to these legs the caterpillar, as 

 it is usually called, has several pairs, commonly five, of 

 soft, fleshy legs on segments farther back, almost always a 

 pair on the last segment. These prolegs have a sort of 

 cleft at their ends by means of which they aid in crawling. 

 Some caterpillars are smooth, others are densely hairy. 



