864 



INSECTA. 



Brachelytra by the forcipated anus, the great 

 length of the antennae, and the breadth and 

 circularity of the wings when expanded, com- 

 pared with the narrow and acute ones of the 

 latter insects. 



Order III. ORTHOPTERA. 



Wings four, anterior ones coriaceous, reticu- 

 lated, and overlapping each other, posterior 

 ones partly coriaceous partly membranous, re- 

 ticulated, and folded longitudinally; head ver- 

 tical ; mandibles, thick, strong, and dentated ; 

 palpi four, maxillary ones in most genera five- 

 jointed. Metamorphosis incomplete. The larvae 

 are active, and resemble the perfect insect. 



In this Order are included many remarkable 

 families. The Locustidic, Locusts ; the Ache- 

 tida, the House and Mole-crickets (jig. 342) ; 



Fig. 342. 



Gryllotalpa vulgaris, (male). Mole-cricket. 



the Mantida, or praying insects ; and the Blat- 

 tid# (fig. 343), or destructive Cock-roaches. 



Order IV. NEUROPTERA. 



Wings four, linear, naked, membranaceous, 

 and minutely reticulated ; all employed in 

 flight; head large, eyes projecting; body linear. 



This Order is divided into five sections. 



In the first section, Panorpina, or Scorpion- 

 flies (Jig. 344), the head is produced anteriorly 



Fig. 344. 



Panorpa commtinis (male). Scorpion-fly. 

 (Samouelle.) 



into a short rostrum, at the extremity of which 

 is the mouth, as in some of the Curculionida ; 

 the antenna,' are long and filiform, and the 

 body is slender, and terminates in the female 

 in an acute ovipositor, and in the male in an 

 articulated claw (a) like the tail of the Scor- 

 pion, from which the insect derives its name. 

 The larva is unknown, but is supposed to un- 

 dergo a complete metamorphosis. The pupa 

 or nymph is inactive.* The perfect insect is 

 predaceous. 



In the second section, the Anisoptera or Ephe- 

 merida, May-flies (Jig. 345), are distinguished 



Fig. 345. 



Elatta Ori'Htali* (male.) The Cock-roach. 



Ephemera vulgata. May-fly. (Samoudle.) 



by the smallness of their posterior wings, by the 

 shortness of the antennae, and by the long setae 

 at the extremity of the abdomen. The larvae 

 are active, and much resemble the perfect in- 

 sect. They reside constantly beneath stones, 

 or in burrows at the bottom of running streams,f 

 and undergo an incomplete metamorphosis. 

 The pupa is active like the larva. In the per- 

 fect insect, which takes no food, and is prover- 

 bially noted for the shortness of its existence, 

 which is seldom more than a few hours, the 

 parts of the mouth are almost entirely oblite- 

 rated. 



In the third section, Libellullna, Dragon - 

 flies, all the wings are of equal size, eyes large 

 arid prominent, antennae minute, body slender, 



* Westwood, Introduction to Entomology, vol. 

 ii. p. 53. 



t Ibid. vol. ii. p. 29. 



