BOMBYCID^E. 



291 



The male of Tliyridopteryx (T. ephemerceformis Haworth), 

 the "basket-worm," is stout-bodied, with broadly pectinated 

 antennae and a long abdomen ; the anal forceps and the adjoin- 

 ing parts being capable of unusual extension in order to reach 

 the oviduct of the female, which is wingless, cylindrical, and in 

 its general form closely resembles its larva, and 

 does not leave its case. On being hatched from 

 the eggs, which are, so far as known by us, not 

 extruded from its case by the parent, the young 

 larvae immediately build little, elongated, bas- 

 ket-like cones, of bits of twigs of the cedar, on 

 which they feed, and may then be seen walking 

 about, tail in the air, this tail or abdomen cov- 

 ered by the incipient case, and presenting a 

 comical sight. The case (Fig. 222) of the full 

 grown larva is elongated, oval, cylindrical, and 

 the fleshy larva transforms within it, while it 

 shelters the female through life. The genus 

 GEceticus comprises large species, with much 

 the same habits, growing in tropical America 

 and in Australia. 



A basket-worm, allied to (Eceticus, has been 

 discovered in Florida, by Mr. Glover, feeding upon the orange, 

 and we give the following account of it from the study of 

 his admirable drawings. With much the same habits, it be- 

 longs to quite a different and undescribed genus. The body 

 of the male resembles that of the broad winged Psyche, and 

 indeed, this moth may be regarded as a 

 connecting link between the latter genus 

 and CEceticus. It may be called the 

 Platoeceticus Cfioverii (Fig. 223). Its 

 body is slender, with pectinated an- 

 tennae ; the wings very broad, irregular, 

 and the hind wings are broad and 

 much rounded, reaching a third of their length beyond the tip 

 of the abdomen. It is dark brown throughout, and expands 

 three-fourths of an inch. The wingless, cylindrical, worm-like 

 female (Fig. 223 6) is acutely oval in form, and whitish. The 

 larva (Fig. 223 c) is rather flattened and resembles that of 



Pig. 222. 



Pig. 223. 



