60 NATURAL HISTORY OF INSECTS. 



CHAPTER XI. 



HOW TO IDENTIFY THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. 



Insects are divided into, orders, orders into families, families 

 into genera, genera into species. 



Or to reverse this enumeration and illustrate : The Southern 

 Cabbage-butterfly (Fig. 175) is a species, and the Imported 

 Cabbage-butterfly (Fig. 176) is another species. These, with 

 other species of a similar form, though not of the same color, 

 from & genus. 



The common Yellow Butterflies form another genus. These 

 two, with several other genera, agreeing in certain respects, 

 form a family. This and several other families of Butterflies, 

 Sphinx Moths, Night-flying Moths, etc., all according in certain 

 characteristics (for instance, in having scaly wings and bodies) 

 form the Order Lepidoptera. 



As a general rule, all the 

 species of a family have 

 sufficient resemblance to 

 each other to enable even 

 unscientific persons, with 

 a little study and observa- 

 tion, to associate and class- 

 ify them with reasonable 

 correctness; and since among insects the members of like 

 family usually have somewhat similar habits, by knowing the 

 habits of a given family, when, finding a certain species belong- 

 ing to it, we may form a tolerably correct idea of its habits. 



To illustrate the method of ascertaining the Order to which 

 any perfect insect belongs, let us suppose an insect is pre- 

 sented with the inquiry: To what Order does it belong? If 

 on examination it is found to have biting jaws, it belongs to 

 the gnawing insects (Mandibulata), and therefore must be con- 

 nected with either of the Orders Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, 

 Orthoptera, or Neuroptera, as to them belong the only insects 

 having biting jaws. If the fore or upper wings are of a hard 



