Btttterflies aad Moths. 



26 

 It ha8 been said that if ^he chief 

 divisions of insects are to be ar- 

 ranged in the order of their importance as pollinators of our 

 native flowers, the first place must be given to bees [Hymen- 



mo. 13. 

 optera), while the butterflies and 

 moths (Lepidoptera) take only the 

 second or third place, before or after 

 the flies (Diptera). But if the ar- 

 rangement is based on the degree of 

 adaptation to flowers, Lepidoptera 

 undoubtedly take the first place, as 

 it is the only order which through- 

 out, and not only in certain of its 

 families, is fitted for obtaining 

 honey. In the perfect state, butter- 

 flies, so far as they take food at all, which is not the case in 

 all species, restrict themselves alrnost entirely to honey, and 

 since they take no further thought for their young than to 

 lay their eggs sufficiently concealed upon the food plant, 

 their mouth parts have been quite free to adapt themselves 

 to the easy obtaining of honey from various floWers. This 

 adaptation is attained by the great development of the max- 

 illary laminae with a suppression of the greater part of the 

 remainder of the mouth organs. The labrum and mandibles 



FIG. 13 A. 

 Fig. 13 A. A butterfly 

 resting od a cluster of 

 flowers Natural size. (Af- 

 ter Behrens.) 



