MOTH. SILK-WORM. 407 



SECTION IX. 



Moth. Silk-Worm. 



Phalena. Linn. 



In this germs of inserts the antennas are found gradually taper- 

 ing from the base to the tip : the tonsue is spiral ; th< re is no 

 jaw, and the wings, w hen at rest, are generall> deflected ; flight 

 nocturnal. Sixteen hundred species. These fly abroad only in 

 the evening, and during the night, and feed on the nectar of 

 iiowers : the larve is active and quick in motion, mostly smooth, 

 wore or less cylindrical, anrl preys voraciously on the leaves of 

 various plants : pupe quiescent, more or less cylindrical, pointed 

 at the tip or at both ends, and is generally inclosed in a follicle. 

 They are divided into the following sections : 



A. bombyx. Antennas filiform ; feelers two, compress* d, reflect- 

 ed.; tongue short, membranaceous, obtuse, bifid ; larve sixteen- 

 footed, often hairy , pupe pointed at the tip. These are sub- 

 divided again : 



a Wings expanded. 

 C Wings reversed. 

 y Wings deflected. 

 $ Wings incumbent, 

 s Wings convolute. 



B. geometra. Antennas filiform ; feelers cylindrical ; tongue 

 projected, membranaceous, setaceous, bifid ; larve eight or ten- 

 footed; six of the feet pectoral, two caudal, and sometimes 

 two subcaudal ; pupe pointed at the tip. Thus again subdi- 

 vided : 



a Antennas pectinate. 



E Antennas setaceous. 



y Wings forked, connivent. 



C noctua. Antennas setaceous; feelers compressed, hairy, the 

 tip cylindrical and naked ; tongue projecting, horny, setaceous, 

 bifid; larve sixteen-footed; pupe pointed at the tip. Subdi* 

 vided as follows : 



Wings expanded. 



2d4 



