MOTHS OF THE LIMBERLOST 



place in a hole worked out by the caterpillar, so earth 

 must touch these cases only as they lie upon it. The 

 one word "hole" would have saved all those moths for 

 me. 



One writer stated that the tongue cases of some pupse 

 turn over and fasten on the back between the wing 

 shields, and others were strangely silent on the subject. 

 So for ten months I kept some cases lying on their backs 

 with the feet up and photographed them in that position, 

 I had to discover for myself that caterpillars that pupate 

 in the ground change to the moth form with the feet and 

 legs folded around the under side of the thorax, the 

 wings wrap over them, and the tongue case bends under 

 and is fastened between the wings. 



For years I could find nothing on the subject of how 

 a moth from a burrowing caterpillar made its appearance. 

 In two recent works I find the statement that the 

 pupa cases come to the surface before the moths leave 

 them, but how the operation is performed is not de- 

 scribed or explained. The illustrations of this book will 

 show you, if you never have seen pupa cases from earth, 

 that they consist of two principal parts ; the blunt head 

 and thorax covering, and the ringed abdominal sections. 

 With many feeders there is a long, fragile tongue shield. 

 The head is rounded and immovable of its own volition. 

 The abdominal part is in rings that can be turned and 

 twisted; on the tip are two tiny, needle-sharp points, 



22 



