Velataspis dentata (Hoke), the dentate scale, !s apparently native to North 
America and is found in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi in 
the Eastern United States. It 1s found on a variety of hosts including bumelia, 
hackberry, magnolia, willow, poplar, catalpa, maple, and others. The cover of the 
adult female is unusually elongate, flat, white to light green, and has terminal shed 
skins. The male cover is similar but is shorter and broader. The life history of this 
species has not been studied. It is normally found on the leaves of its host. 
Order Lepidoptera—Butterflies, Moths, Skippers 
This is the second largest order of insects and one of the most important 
economically. More than 5,000 species occur in the Eastern United States alone, 
and many are serious pests of forest, shade, and ornamental trees. The adults differ 
considerably in appearance from those in all other orders and are not difficult to 
recognize. The wings and practically all other parts of the body are typically 
covered by a layer of short, flattened hairs, or scales, which rub off like dust when 
the insects are handled. The mouth parts, when present, are in the form of a long, 
slender, flexible tube that is carried coiled up like a watch spring beneath the head. 
The wings are usually very broad and subtriangular in form; the front pair is larger. 
Moth, butterfly, and skipper adults usually differ in habits and appearance as 
follows: (1) Moths usually fly at night and are frequently attracted to lights; 
butterflies and skippers fly in the daytime. (2) Moths usually have the wings 
wrapped around the body, folded rooflike on the abdomen, or spread horizontally 
while at rest; butterflies usually fold their wings above the back in a vertical 
position; skippers usually hold the front and hindwings at a different angie. (3) 
Moth antennae are usually threadlike or featherlike; butterfly antennae are 
threadlike and clubbed at the tip; the antennae of the skippers are usually recurved 
or hooked. 
Lepidopterous larvae are all very similar in structure and are known as cater- 
pillars. They are usually cylindrical in shape and, besides the head, the body is 
composed of 13 segments, 3 thoracic and 10 abdominal. Each thoracic segment 
bears a pair of jointed legs, terminating in a single claw, whereas the abdominal 
segments bear unjointed fleshy projections of the body called prolegs, typically one 
pair each on segments 3 to 6 and 10. Occasionally, some or all of the prolegs are 
missing. A distinctive feature of the prolegs of caterpillars is the presence of fine 
hooks, known as crochets; these are usually in a circle at the apex, but also may 
form bands or rows. Another important characteristic of the Lepidoptera is the 
ability of the larvae to produce silk. Many larvae use this material in making 
cocoons, and some use it for making shelters. The first instars of certain species 
also frequently drop down from the crowns of trees in large numbers when 
disturbed, hanging suspended at the ends of long strands of silk. Many of these are 
often borne aloft by the wind and transported for considerable distances. Many 
nearly full-grown larvae descend the tree in search of better food or pupation sites. 
True silk moth larvae typically spin silken cocoons in which to pupate. Some 
miscellaneous groups form tough silk or parchmentlike cocoons, which often 
include debris. The pupae of many others are naked or are enclosed in slight 
cocoons attached to leaves or other surfaces. Depending on the species, cocoons 
may be found in the soil, in tunnels in wood, or in other larval habitats. The 
caterpillars of butterflies usually do not make cocoons. Their pupae are naked and 
are commonly known as chrysalids. They are often attached to leaves or twigs from 
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