INSECTS, 



"True insects are again divisible 

 into two primary groups : the first of 

 these are organized for mastication 

 in tiicir perfect state, and the second 

 are organized for suction alone. Each 

 of these divisions, according to the 

 system of Macloay, contains live sep- 

 arate orders, the principal characters 

 of which we shall endeavour to make 

 intelligible in common language. 



" The Mandibulata, or masticating 

 insects, are furnished with jaws (/ro- 

 phi) of a horny or membranaceous sub- 

 stance, infinitely diversified in their 

 form and structure. They are divi- 

 ded into the following orders : 



" 1. Trickoptera. — The wings are 

 four, soft, and generally transparent ; 

 the upper pair slightly hairy, and the 

 lower folded when at rest. The in- 

 sects of this order are comparatively 

 few. The caddy, or cadis worm, is 

 the larva of the spring fiy{Phri/ffanea), 

 and lives in the water, concealed 

 within a tube of its own construction. 



" 2. Hi/menoplera. — The wings are 

 four, clear and transparent. The tar- 

 sus (or outer division of the foot) is 

 composed of five joints, and the body 

 is armed with a sting. The bee, the 

 ant, and the wasp are familiar ex- 

 amples. 



" 3. Coleoptera. This well-defined 

 and most extensive order compre- 

 hends all insects known by the name 

 of beetles. They have two wings, 

 concealed beneath a pair of hard 

 wing-cases, which meet close togeth- 

 er in a straight line down the back. 

 There are many tribes of these in- 

 sects, which, both in their larva and 

 perfect state, are extensively injuri- 

 ous to man. 



"4. O It hop! era. — The true wings 

 are but two, very large when expand- 

 ed, and folded lengthwise when at 

 rest. They are covered, either par- 

 tiali'^or wholly, by two wing-cases of 

 a thin, tough, and rather opaque sub- 

 stance, somewhat resembling parch- 

 ment, and reticulated with small 

 nerves. The leading characters of 

 this order are exemplified in the Blat- 

 ta, or cockroach, the pest of tropical 

 countries, and frequently troublesome 

 in our kitchens and larders. 

 422 



"5. Ncuroptcra. — The wings, witi) 

 very few exceptions, are four in num- 

 ber, clear, transparent, and reticula- 

 ted with numerous areolets, or irreg- 

 ularly square divisions ; the tail of 

 the female is not armed with a sting. 

 Few, if any of these insects may be 

 considered as injurious : some are, 

 indeed, beneficial ; as, from their pred- 

 atory habits, they attack and devour 

 a vast number of smaller insects. 

 This is more particularly the habit of 

 the green dragon fly {Agrion vtrgo), 

 which every one may see, during sum- 

 mer, hovering over ponds, and flying 

 about like a hawk in search of its prey. 

 The ephemera, or day-fly, hkewise be- 

 longs to this order. 



" The HaiistcUata, or suctorial in- 

 sects, likewise contain five orders. 

 Although apparently destitute of jaws, 

 there is every reason to believe that 

 the rudiments of the masticating or- 

 gans exist in these insects, but that 

 they are so slightly developed as to be 

 totally useless, and only discoverable 

 under a very strong magnifier. The 

 suctorial insects in their larva state 

 are mostly furnished with strong and 

 well-defined jaws, and feed voracious- 

 ly upon animal and vegetable bodies ; 

 yet, from the perfect insect being sup- 

 ported by suction alone, it is obvious 

 that in this state they can do no in- 

 jury to the agriculturist. The orders 

 into which they have been divided 

 are these : 



" 1. Lepidoptera. — The wings are 

 four, thin, membranaceous, and cov- 

 ered with a fine powdery substance, 

 which, by the magnifying glass, is 

 shown to consist of minute scales, 

 lying one upon another, like those on 

 fishes. The butterfly and moth tribes 

 are familiar to every one as well- 

 known examples of these insects, the 

 larva of which are called caterpillars. 



" 2. Dipiera. — The wings are two, 

 clear and transparent, like those of 

 the common house-fly. This order 

 is very numerous, and contains many 

 insects which are injurious to vege- 

 tables as larva;, and troublesome to 

 man in a winged state, as the gnat 

 (Cnlex), whane-fly {Tabanus), crane- 

 fly (T^pii/a). 



