INSECTS AND THEIE EEMEDTES. 105 



THE CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTS. 



This is not a book on entomology, and I shall avoid, 

 as much as possible, the description of insects and the 

 use of technical terms, preferring to present the most im- 

 portant species to the eye in the form of an illustration. 



For the better understanding of future references, I 

 must, however, enumerate the orders into which insects 

 are divided, and the transformations they undergo. 



OEDEES. 



I. Hymenoptera. Example, bees, ants, wasps, ich- 

 neumons. 



II. Coleoptera. Shield- winged insects. The beetles. 

 Example, the fig-eater; Colorado potato-beetle. 



III. Lepidoptera. Butterflies and moths. Example, 

 the cotton-worm and tomato-worm moths. 



IV. Hemiptera. The bugs. Example, the plant- 

 louse. 



V. Diptera. Two-winged insects. Example, com- 

 mon house fly. 



YI. OrtJioptera. Straight-winged insects. Example, 

 the grass-hopper. 



VI I. Neuroptera. Nerve- winged insects. Example, 

 the dragon-fly, or mosquito -hawk. 



There are also minor divisions, but the orders will an- 

 swer our purpose. 



The four stages of insect life are: 



First. The egg, which hatches and produces: 



Second. The larva (worm, grub, maggot, caterpillar), 

 which goes into the state of the : 



Third. Pupa or chrysalis, often enclosed in a silken 

 cocoon. Out of the pupa appears the: 



Fourth. Imago, or perfect insect. 



These changes of form are truly wonderful. 



