834 INSECTA— LANTERN FLY. 



They are very voracious little animals, and will eat bread, flour, meat, 

 and scummings of pots, but are particularly fond of sugar. They are a 

 thirsty race, and show a great predilection for liquids, being often found 

 drowned in pans of water, milk, or broth. Whatever is moist they aft'ect, 

 and therefore frequently gnaw holes in wet woolen stockings and aprons 

 that are hung to the fire. 



THE GREAT LANTERN FLY.^ 



This is undoubtedly one of the most curious of insects ; it is of a very 

 considerable size, measuring nearly three inches and a half from the tip of 

 the front to that of the tail, and about five inches and a half from wing's 

 end to wing's end, when expanded ; the body is of a lengthened oval shape, 

 roundish or subcylindric, and divided into several rings or segments ; the 

 length is nearly equal to' the length of the rest of the animal, and is oval, 

 inflated, and bent slightly upwards ; the ground color is an elegant yellow, 

 with a strong tinge of green in some parts, and marked with numerous 

 bright red, brown variegations, in the form of stripes and spots ; the wings 

 are very large, of a yellow color, most elegantly varied with brown undula- 

 tions and spots, and the lower pair are decorated by a very large eye-shaped 

 spot on the middle of each, the iris or border of the spot being red, and the 

 centre half red and half semi-transparent white ; the head or lantern is pale 



' Fulffora laternaria, Lin. The order Hemiptera has two wings covered by elytra ; 

 mouth formed for suction, the rostrum composed of a tubular articulated sheath, includ- 

 ing four scaly setfe, in place of mandibles and jaws ; elytra in some crustaceous, with the 

 posterior extremity membranous ; in others almost similar to wings, but more extended, 

 thicker and colored. 



