LEPIDOPTERA. 603 



cells. The species inhabit South America ; they build their nests on the summit of trees, or in their cavities. 

 The honey of M. Amalthea is very afjreeable, but very fluid, and soon becomes corrupt. It furnishes to the Indians 

 a spirituous liquid, of which they are very fond. It appears that some species of Melipona have been found in 

 the island of Sumatra. M. Cordier possesses a piece of amber, inclosing a specimen of M. Amalthea. [I ques- 

 tion vrhether this insect was not inclosed in gum copal, or anime, and not in amber. I have seen many Meli- 

 ponie inclosed in the gum anime.] 



The species without teeth in the mandibles are Melipona proper; those with teeth form the genus Trigona. 



[The recent work of the Comte de Saint Fargeau, forming part of the Suites de Biiffon, must be consulted, as 

 well as the tenth volume of the Encyclopedie Methodique, for many additional facts and genera established 

 relative to the family of the Bees. Also the work of Dr. Bevan on the Honey Bee, and the volume on Bees in the 

 Natiiralisfs Library; whilst the Moitographia Apum Anglia of Mr. Kirby may be mentioned as one of the most 

 perfect examples of an entomological monograph which has ever been published.] 



THE TENTH ORDER OF INSECTS,— 



LEPIDOPTERA, Linn. (Glossata, Fabr.),— 



Terminates the series of those which have four wings, and presents to us two characters which 

 are especially peculiar to it. 



The wings are covered on hoth surfaces with small coloured scales, similar to a farinose 

 powder, which comes off on heing touched. A proboscis, or tongue, rolled up in a spiral 

 direction between two palpi, clothed with scales or hairs, forms the most important part of 

 the mouth, and with which these insects draw up the nectar of flowers, which is their only 

 nourishment. We have seen, in the remarks on insects in general, that this proboscis is 

 composed of two tubidar filaments, representing the maxillae, each bearing at its base exter- 

 nally a very small palpus, hke a tubercle. The visible palpi, or those which form a kind of 

 sheath to the tongue, replace the labial palpi of masticatory insects, being cylindrical, or 

 conical, generally turned upwards, 3-jointed, and inserted upon a fixed labuxm, which forms 

 the portion of the lower part of the oral cavity below the proboscis. Two minute pieces, 

 situated one on each side, at the anterior and superior edge of the front of the head, near the 

 eyes, seem to be the vestiges of mandibles ; and we also discover, in an equally rudimental 

 form, the labrum. 



The antennae are variable, and always composed of a great number of joints. In many two 

 ocelli are visible, but hidden beneath the scales of the head. The three segments of which 

 the thorax of hexapod insects is composed, are united into a single body, the first being very 

 short, and the two others confounded together. The scutellum is triangular, but pointed 

 towards the head ; the wings are simply veined, and variable in figure, size, and position. In 

 many the hind pair have several longitudinal folds towards the inner edge ; at the base of 

 each of the upper wings is a piece like an epaulette, prolonged behind, which corresponds 

 with the tegula of the Hymenoptera ; but, in its more developed state in this order, I call it 

 the pterygoda. The abdomen, composed of six or seven joints, is attached to the thorax by a 

 very small portion of its diameter, and is furnished with neither sting nor ovipositor analogous 

 to that of the Hymenoptera, In many females, however, as in Cossus, the terminal segments 

 are elongated and narrowed, so as to form an oviduct, like a pointed and retractile tail. The 

 tarsi have constantly five joints. The species always consist only of males and females ; the 

 latter ordinarily deposit their eggs, which are very numerous, upon vegetable substances, 

 ujjou which the larvae feed, and after which the females soon die. 



The larvae of Lepidopterous insects are known under the name of Caterpillars, They have 

 six scaly feet, corresponding with those of the perfect insect, besides from four to ten 

 membranous feet, of which the two last are situated at the jiosterior extremity of the body, 

 near the anus : those with only ten or twelve feet are called Geometers, or Loopers, from 



