BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



337 



moth. The female bears little resemblance to the male, or, indeed, to 

 a lepidopterous insect, being possessed only of the merest rudiments of 

 wings, and hence quite incapable of flight. On the other hand, its long 

 legs increase its running powers. The female deposits its eggs upon tree- 

 buds, and to get to these is compelled to climb up the tree. The cautious 

 fruit-grower takes advantage of this habit of the insect by smearing 

 his trees with a sticky composition daubed on in rings round the stem 

 and branches, by which the insects are caught before they can do any 

 damage. The caterpillar is green, with a darker median dorsal line, 

 and yellow lines along the sides. It possesses in addition to the claspers 



Winter Moth. (Natural size.). 



On the left : r.M. , Male resting ; 



f. M. , male flying ; W.L. , females I UK 

 stuck fast to a ring of gum ; 

 e.W., female depositing eggs 

 (eggs are also seen on several 

 other buds). On the right : 

 Caterpillars ; R.F., a caterpillar 

 letting itself down to the ground 

 by a thread ; N. , nests con- 

 structed from leaves drawn and 

 woven together by the larvfe. 



only one pair of abdominal or pro-legs. Thus, in walking, the larva 

 alternately draws up its body into a high arch or loop and again ex- 

 tends it, thus spanning out the path it traverses somewhat in the same 

 way as we should span out a given length with our hand (hence the 

 name " geometers "—land-measurers— applied to this family of moths). 

 During rest the caterpillar usually is only attached by its claspers, and 

 extends its thin body straight away from the branch of the tree. In 

 this position it bears a marked resemblance to a leaf-stalk (protection 



