CHAPTER XIII. 



LARV.flE OF IBITATER-FLIES. 



ERTAIN rather fragile-looking insects may be seen in 

 summer-time flying, apparently with difficulty to 

 themselves, over the surface and in the neighbour- 

 hood of fresh water, or may be found concealed among the 

 weeds and trees growing on its banks. These insects are 

 commonly called Caddis-flies. They are very like moths, with 

 unusually long antennae. Their chief colours are either brown 

 or black. Some of them are as much as 2in. across their 

 expanded wings, and these (the large insects) generally fly at 

 night. A few of the Caddis-flies are so much like moths 

 that it is no easy matter to make a distinction. However, 

 as a rule, the former may be distinguished from the latter 

 by remembering that the wings of the Caddis-fly are covered 

 more or less closely with a kind of hair, while those of the 

 moth are adorned with powder-like scales; hence the one is 

 a trichopterous (Gr. ihrix, a hair, and pteron, a wing) insect, 

 and the other a lepidopterous {lepis, a scale, and pteron, a 

 wing). The Oaddis.-fly can also be known from a moth by its 

 antennae and mouth-organs. Its antennae are proportionately 

 longer than those of a moth, are carried more horizontally, 

 and are filiform or thread-like, whilst those of moths are 

 generally plumose or feathery. 



The females of the Caddis-fly deposit their eggs upon stones 

 near to, or half in, the water, upon aquatic plants, or even. 



