LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 27 
clined, forming a triangle with the body ; the 
superior palpi are concealed, the lower ones very 
small, in the form of tubercles, cylindrical or 
conical, and tapering towards their point ; they 
have either no tongue, or it is very indistinct ; 
the antenne are pectinated, at least in the males 5 
abdomen very large in the females ; caterpillar 
with fourteen or sixteen feet; in those with 
fourteen feet, they have a forked tail in place of 
the last two. 
Linneus included this genus among his Phalena, and formed 
one of its divisions. The body of the Bombices is, however, 
always thicker than the Phalene, and they live in the perfeet 
state for @ much shorter time than the other nocturnal lepidop- 
terous insects. Incapable of imbibing nourishment in this state, 
being destitute of a tongue and trunk, the winged insect exists 
only for the purpose of reproduction. 
Famity I].—Nocrvo-Bompycrrrs. 
I. The caterpillars are always smooth, with sixteen feet, inha- 
biting the interior of different vegetables, generally ligneous 
ones. ‘The margins of the segments of the abdomen of the 
chrysalis are either dentated or spinous ; the trank is spinal 
in the perfect insect, always very short, or almost none ; 
antenne of some males furnished interiorly with a double 
row of beards; those of the females, and of both sexes in 
others, having a series of short rounded teeth in all their 
length. 
The genera are Cossus and Zruzena. 
II. The caterpillars always living exposed naked, and smooth, 
with fourteen feet, the anal ones wanting; posterior extre- 
mity of the body pointed, forked, or entire and truncated ; 
