428 INSECTS AT HOilB. ■ 



by means of which they can introduce their eggs beneath 

 the bark of the trees on wliich the caterpillars feed. The 

 tongue and antennae are short, and the larva is naked, with the 

 exception of a few scattered hairs. There is a peculiarity in 

 the chrysalis, which will presently be described. 



A very characteristic example of this family is given on 

 Woodcut XLV. Fig. 1, the insect being popularly and appro- 

 priately called Wood Leopard Moth {Zeuzera cfsculi). This 

 is a very pretty moth, though the colours are simjjly white and 

 black. The white, however, is partially translucent, and the 

 black is in reality the very deepest blue-green. The figiire 

 represents the female. The male is coloured in a similar 

 manner, but his antennae are boldly curved, and adorned for the 

 first half of their length with a deep double comb. 



At Fig. a is represented the caterpillar of the Wood Leopard, 

 about half-grown. As may be seen by reference to tlie illustra- 

 tion, it very much resembles the perfect insect in markings, 

 the green colour being white and the spots shining black. 

 Behind the head is a large black plate. This caterpillar 

 burrows into the limbs of many trees, especially fruit trees, 

 but appears to do little, if any, harm to them. Indeed, 

 Mr. Newman states that fruit trees which are pierced by this 

 larva bear even more abundantly than those which are 

 untouched by it. 



The perfect insect appears in the middle of summer, and is a 

 common insect, though it will seldom be found except by 

 persons who know where and when to look for it. The female 

 mostly remains near the tree in wdiich she was bred, and may 

 be found at night clinging to the trunk, where she can be 

 detected by the aid of a lantern. The male is much bolder, 

 and flies abroad in search of his mate. He is one of the many 

 Moths that fly towards a light, and can often be taken by the 

 simple process of putting a lamp near an open window. Many 

 entomologists have made quite valuable collections of insects by 

 this one plan. 



With respect to this particular Moth, jNIr. W. C. Hewitson 

 notices, in 'The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine,' for Sep- 

 tember 1869, a very curious appearance of this insect. ' A fort- 

 night ago, twelve Zeuzera aesculi came down my drawing-room 

 chimney. They were all males. What business they had 



