Larvae and their Work 



laid transversely one on the other and bound together 

 with silk so that the whole structure forms a tube ; in 

 other species the sticks are laid longitudinally, but whatever 

 the plan, the peculiarity which cannot fail to strike an 

 observer is the remarkable uniformity in the length of the 

 sticks used in building the home. Within its case the 

 larva dwells and feeds contentedly on the leaves of its 

 favourite food plant, probably a wattle ; should danger 

 threaten, the insect simply withdraws into its shell after 

 the manner of a tortoise and remains in hiding till the 

 danger be passed. 



Equally ingenious, but less obvious on account of their 

 small size, are the cases of the clothes-moth caterpillars. 

 The mother moth lays her eggs on some fabric, wool or 

 fur for choice, and in due course the little house-building 

 larva emerges therefrom. For the construction of its 

 dwelling, the creature makes use of the nap of the cloth on 

 which it is hatched ; from this material it builds a tubular 

 cell which is just long enough to conceal its body. The 

 diminutive tube is wider at the centre than af either end, 

 and purposely so, for the following reason. As the eater- 

 pilfer feeds, which, by the way, it does on the body of the 

 cloth and not on the nap, it grows and eventually becomes 

 too large for its home. 



Now when the caddis-fly larvae are too long for their 

 cases they simply build others of suitable size ; not so the 

 clothes-moth larva, which enlarges his original home to 

 suit his needs, and in order to do so it is necessary to 

 be able to turn round, hence the larger size of the tube 

 towards the centre. When it is necessary to start re- 

 building operations, the larva cuts a triangular piece from 

 his tube, opens wide the cut ends and proceeds to fill up 

 the space thus formed with new material. Then he turns 

 round and repeats the operation at the other end. Should 

 the tube be too short, material is added to either end in 

 rings. The whole operation is completed without the 

 larva leaving the shelter of its home. By moving a young 



