meal (hence called meal-worms), also to leaves and flowers 

 of mustard. These minute moths have long wings which 

 are not folded up in repose. The antennae and legs are long 

 and slender, abdomen long and pointed, extending consider- 

 ably beyond the hind-wings. The commonest example is 

 the Lencinodes orbonalis (Fig. 67 h) which spoils brinjal fruits 

 by tunnelling holes in them. 



1,205. Diptera. These have only two wings with few 

 veins, not clothed with scales or hair. The hind-wings are 

 replaced by rudimentary halteres or poisers. The mouth 

 is furnished with a proboscis. The female is stingless, but 

 the last joint is often prolonged, into a beak-like process 

 which helps it in making holes for the deposition of eggs. 

 The larvae are footless maggots ; pupae inactive. Nearly all 



FiG. 68. DIPTERA (MOSQUITO). 



dipterous larvae live in fluid or in semifluid substances (e. g. 

 putrid meat) and even the imagoes (e.g. ordinary house flies) 

 have the power of living under water for an hour or more. 

 The spiricles are situated close to the anus or posterior ex- 

 tremity of the body and they push up this end of the body 

 occasionally to get fresh air. The slender wriggling larvae 

 we see in dirty water are larvas chiefly of mosquitoes. 



1,206. The principal families of dipterous insects are : 

 (i) Pulicidae or fleas (ptshu) ; (2) Muscidae or flesh and house 

 flies ; (3) CEstridae or botflies ; (4) Hippoboscidae or sheep 

 ticks ; (5) Tabanidas or horse flies ; (6) Culisidae or mosquitoes ; 

 (7) Chironomidae or gnats ; (8) Cecidomyiidae or gall-midges ; 

 (9) Tipulidae or crane-flies also called Dadilonlegs ; (10) 

 Syrphidac or aphis-eaters. 



