io6 



INSECTS. 



to the pine-forests, where it feeds upon the needles of the trees, and sometimes 

 appears in overwhelming numbers. In coping with the enormous quantity of 

 caterpillars of this moth which devastate the district on these occasions, man is 

 materially assisted by other creatures. Thus, a tree-frog ascends and feeds upon 

 the larvae ; ichneumons of different species sting, and thus destroy, thousands ; an 

 internal fungus establishes itself in the caterpillar, with the same result; and, 

 lastly, a beetle and its larvae, which are represented in the illustration, render no 

 small assistance in clearing off the pest. The caterpillars are hatched in the autumn 

 and hibernate, remaining throughout the winter in the moss at the foot of the trees. 



processiox-jioth {Gastropacha processioned). 1, Male ; 2, Single hair of the larva ; 3, Segment of larva; 



4, The pupa ; 5, The cocoons of several larv;e spun up together. (Nos. 2 and 3 enlarged.) 



The main illustration represents the migration of the larvae in orderly procession. 



In this state, coiled round in a spiral form, they may be frozen quite stiff, yet 

 on the return of spring they regain vitality, and climb the trees in search of their 

 usual provender. The red-brown cocoon is spun sometimes between the needles 

 of the tree, as represented in the illustration, or else beneath some semi-detached 

 piece of bark. In the procession-moth (Gastropacha processicmea) the fore-wings 

 are yellow -grey, with a glossy sheen, and dark indistinct oblique transverse bars. 

 The larvae are hairy with a blue-black back, pale sides, and red or grey warts on 

 each segment. At night the caterpillars march out to feed in a regular orderly 



