24 OUR SHA.DE TREES AXD THEIR INSECT DEFOLIATORS. 



struct a portable case or bag in which to live. The way in which tbis bag 

 is prepared is curious (Fig. 8). The young larva crawls ou a leaf, and 



a 



Fig. 8. — Thyrido-ptcryx ephemereeformis. How the young larva prepares its bag. 



gnawing little bits from the surface, fastens these together with fine silk, 

 produces a narrow, elongate band, which is then fastened at both ends 

 onto the surface of the leaf by silky threads. Having secured itself from 

 falling down by some threads, it now straddles this band and, bending 

 its head downward (Fig. 8b), makes a dive under it, turns a complete 

 somersault and lies ou its back, held down by the band (Fig. 8 c). By 

 a quick turning movement the larva regains its feet, the band now ex- 

 tending across its neck (Fig. 8 d). It then adds to the band at each end 

 until the two ends meet, and they are then fastened together so as to 

 form a kind of narrow collar which encircles the neck of the worm. 

 Far from resting, it now busies itself by adding row after row to the an- 

 terior or lower end of the collar, which thus rapidly grows in girth and 

 is pushed further and further over the maker (Fig. 8 e). The inside of 

 this bag is now carefully lined with an additional layer of silk, and the 

 larva now marches off, carrying the bag in an upright position (Fig. 7 

 g and Fig. 8/). When in motion or when feeding, the head and tho- 

 racic segments protrude from the lower end of the bag, the rest of the 

 body being bent upward and held in this position by the bag. As the 

 worms grow they continue to increase the bags from the lower end and 

 they gradually begin to use larger pieces of leaves, or bits of twigs or 

 any other small objects for ornamenting the outside. Thus the bags 

 will differ according to the different kind of tree or shrub upon which 

 the larva happens to feed ; those found on coniferous trees being orna- 

 mented with the filiform pine leaves, usually arranged lengthwise on 

 the bag, while those on the various deciduous trees are more or less 

 densely and irregularly covered with bits of leaves interspersed with 



