44 Timehri. 



While the nests found in this colony are small there are species 

 to be found in Australia whose nests are taller than a man. 

 The commoner type of nest here is spherical and about 12 to 18 inches 

 in diameter but small conical forms about 2 feet high are also found 

 locally. The nests are made from the -wood which they destroy hardened 

 by a secretion of the insects. 



Among the butterflies and moths (Order Lepidoptera) the home 

 building instinct is also present. The so common habit among the 

 moths of forming a cocoon must be considered but a development in this 

 direction for the protection of the pupae. 



The larvae sometimes make shelters for themselves, and a tine example 

 can be found in the often too prevalent Coconut Caterpillar, BrassoJis 

 sophorae L. In this species several dozen larvae draw the leaflets of a 

 branch together by silken threads thus forming a cylindrical ' nest,' open 

 at both ends, in which they hide during the day. 



The larvae of the Guava Firetail Butterfly. Pyrrhopyge amyclas Cram., 

 have a similar habit but in this case each larva makes a separate home by 

 drawing together a couple of leaves. Leafrolling too is but another form 

 of nest -building. In these examples we have the simplest types of homes 

 — mere hiding places. 



Very different are the nests of Titya hirta Druce, belonging to the 

 Family Lasiocampidae. Here the larvae build a large sacklike nest of 

 silk which may be as much as two feet long and in this they pupate. The 

 adults when hatched make holes ia this sack to emerge. 



The well-known Brown-tail Moth of North America, Eaproctis 

 chrysorrhea L. (Fam. Liparidae) has a similar habit and builds a nest of 

 leaves. 5-6 inches in length, in which the larvae pass the winter : one of 

 these nests may contain as many as 200 or more larvae. 



Probably the most peculiar development of this habit is to be found in 

 the Family Psych idae or Bagworms which is well represented by our 

 Oiketicus kirbyii Gldng., whose homes are often to be seen about. The 

 larvae of these insects build dwellings about 2 or 3 inches long of small 

 bits of twigs over which they spin a tough silken covering, in these bags 

 they live, carrying them around with them wherever they go. Later, 

 when fully developed, the male pupates and emerges as a winged moth, 

 the female remaining undeveloped and spending the whole of her life at 

 home. 



In the order Hemiptera examples can also be found. The familiar 

 Cicadas or ' six o'clock bees ' of this colony make underground dwellings 

 in their nymphal stage, their tunnels extending several inches down. The 

 well known ' seventeen }-ear locust ' Cicada septendecim of North 

 America it must be remembered is really a Cicada and spends its entire 

 nymphal stage, lasting close on seventeen years, in the ground. 



