LEWDUPTEKA. 173 



LEPIDOPTERA, 



OR ISUTTERFLIBK AND MoTIIS. 



The Lepidoptera or scaly-winged insects are the Butterflies 

 and Moths. The former are known as Diurni or Rhopalvcera, 

 and have always club-shaped antennas (fig. 77, 1), and the wings 

 are always held vertically over the back when in repose. They 

 are mostly day -fliers. The moths or Heterucera have either 

 thread-shaped, feathery, or pectinate antennas ; the wings are 

 folded over the back in repose, and the body usually stoiiter 

 than in the butterflies. 



Lepidoptera are haustellate, the mouth being prolonged into 

 a long sucking proboscis or antlia. The scales are the 

 colouring part of the wing : they easily rub off, when the 

 membranes of the wing are seen to be quite transparent. 



All Lepidoptera have a complete metamorphosis. The ova 

 are often beautifully sculptured. The larvre or caterpillars have 

 six true legs and usually foui pairs of prologs, with the addition 

 of an anal pair at the hind end. The larvffi are mostly vege- 

 tarians, and are provided with strong biting mandibles. They 

 moult four times. The 

 length of life is very 

 variable : some only live 

 ten days, others two or 



,, //-< J -i\r ji Fig. 76. — Larva of the LARGii White 



three years (Goat Moth (Pm-is bmssiax). 



— Cossun). The pupie 



may be naked, or enclosed in a cocoon of silk or a cell of earth. 

 The adults are nearly always winged, except in some female 

 moths (Winter Moth.s), and are usually short - lived. Some 

 imagines hibernate (Tortoise-shell Butterfly), and these have a 

 longer period of existence. Large numbers of moth larvae are 

 injurious, but only a few Khopalocera. 



