26 



THE COLLECTORS' MONTHLY. 



eludes lobsters, crabs, millipedes, spiders, 

 scorpions, etc. They may be distinguish- 

 ed from these by the one fact that all full 

 grown insects (See Fig. 1,) have six legs. 

 This is why they are called Hexapoda — 

 six-legged. The spiders have eight legs 

 and the millipedes many, so they would 

 not come in the class Insecta. 



Insects also have many other striking 

 characteristics. The body (See Fig. 1) 

 is divided into fchree distinct parts, head, 

 thorax, and abdomen. On the head are 

 a pair of jointed antennae or feelers, com- 

 pound eyes, and often simple eyes or 

 ocelli. The thorax bears the three pairs 

 Of legs and the wings. The wings are 

 usually four in number, but often there 

 iare only two and sometimes even none, 



Fig. II Common Cabbage Butterfly. 

 (Pieris rapne.) 



A close examination of — for instance — a 

 grasshopper, will reveal all of the dif- 

 ferent parts very readily. In the hand- 

 ling of insects they soon become familiar. 

 The Different Kinds of Insects. 

 Having fixed in the mind the charact- 

 eristics of an insect, the next thing will 

 be to learn to distinguish the different 

 orders — ants, beetles, butterflies, and 

 moths, flies, etc. This may seem a very 

 . ^diHV'hiatteV;, 'but' it is often difficult re- 

 ..quiring.a verv close examination of the 

 .specimen, .However, after a,, little careful 

 study and some practice the collector wilt 

 be able to readily place almost any insect 

 " hd9^y't J ait'iidcro%'. The scientific ha mps 

 "of tl'ie' orders can be learned with very 



little trouble. Insects are roughly divid- 

 ed into seven .orders. These, with their 

 distinguishing characteristics (applying 

 only to adults), are as follows: — 



I. Hymenoptera, which includes bees, 

 ants, wasps, ichneumon-flies, sawflies, 

 etc. Hymenoptera have a complete me- 

 tamorphosis — that is, after hatching 

 from the eggs they appear like a worm 

 and are called larvae. The larva, after 

 completing its growth, changes to a pupa 

 from which the perfect insect or imago, 

 emerges. The insects after this never 

 grow any more. A metamorphosis is a 

 change and the change here is complete. 

 Insects of this order also have two pairs 

 of membranous wings, which have few 

 veins. Their mouth parts are fitted for 

 both sucking and biting. 



II < oleopteni, which includes the bee- 

 tles (See Fig. 1). Beetles have a com- 

 plete metamorphosis, mouth parts fitted 

 for biting, and four wings but the first 

 pair is stiff and horny. The second pair 

 are folded under the first when the insect 

 is at rest. 



III. Lepidojrtera, which includes but- 

 terflies (See Fig. 2) and moths. Lepi- 

 doptera have a complete metamorphosis, 

 mouth parts fitted for sucking or sip- 

 ping, and four membranous wings which 

 are literally ''shingled" all over with very 

 minute scales. These readily rub off, as 

 a fine powder, when the finger touches 

 the surface of the wing. 



IV. tiiptera, includes flies, which have 

 complete metamorphosis and only two 

 wings. Some flies closely resemble wasps 

 but examine the wings and there will be 

 no room for doubt. 



V. Neiiroptera, includes dragon-flies, 

 devil's darning needles, may-flies, caddis- 

 flies, termites or white ants, etc. Neur- 

 optera haVe a complete metamorphosis, 

 bitiiig lnouth parts, and four membran- 

 ous' winds' which have many veins (i.e.- 



