246 THE YOUNG 



reproducing its kind ; therefore, this duty 

 accomplished, it dies very shortly afterwards. 

 The means of defence of larvae vary accord- 

 ing as they feed in the daytime or at night, 

 and also according as they are sociable or 

 solitary. 



Many larv^ are sociable during part of 

 their existence, others during the whole 

 larval state. Among the latter I may men- 

 tion the small ermine moths [Yponomeuta, 

 Cognatella, Padella,&.c.); these, on being ex- 

 cluded from the eggs, at once begin spin- 

 ning a web on the branches of their food- 

 plants, large enough to contain the whole 

 brood, and in this they feed in security, free 

 from attacks of parasites ; and when their 

 increasing size necessitates more accommo- 

 dation, they merely spin the web larger. 



The small egger [Erioga ter lanedris) and 

 the lackey [Bomhyx Twustria), also, upon 

 leaving the egg spin a large web in common 

 among their food, extending it from time to 

 time when they find it necessary, but as they 

 approach their last moult they spread about 

 their food-plant and cease to be sociable_ 

 The larvs of the tortoiseshell [Vanessa 

 urticcB) have somewhat similar habits to 

 those of lanestris and neustria, but instead 

 of immediately making a web, they content 

 themselves with tying the edges of a nettle 

 leaf together and feed inside, merely begin- 

 ning with their web when their habitation 

 ceases to be large enough to contain the 

 whole brood. 



The Tortrices, or "leaf-rollers," are so 

 nam.ed on account of the habits of many of 

 them of rolling, curling, twisting, or attach- 

 ing together the leaves of their food-plants, 

 in which they pass the greater part of their 

 larval state. The larvae of ToHrices, how- 

 ever, are not the only ones that feed between 

 leaves ; those of the genera Clostera, Tetltea, 

 and Co mia do the same, but they use the 

 leaves more as a protecting case than as a 

 convenient provision store, for they leave it 

 at night, and feed on the leaves in their 



NATUEmST. 



vicinity, returning when their appetite is 

 appeased. 



The larva of Eydrocampa nympkcsalis, 

 which feeds on the underside of the water- 

 lily, and other aquatic plants beneath the 

 water, attaches with silk a piece of leaf to 

 its food-plant, and feeds in the case so 

 formed, as do other Hydrocamjtidce 



The larvae of the Eudoreidce, &c., make 

 galleries, lined with silk, through the moss 

 and lichens on which they feed ; whilst 

 those of the Galleridce do the same through 

 the wax in beehives, &c. 



Many larvae feed in the interior of stems 

 and roots of plants, and in the solid wood 

 of trees, and thus are generally eftectually 

 protected from ichneumons. I say generally, 

 for certain species — such as Basypolia tem- 

 pli^ which feeds in the roots of cow-parsley. 

 Heracleum sphondyliiim, and Gortyna fla- 

 vago, which feeds in the stems of thistles, 

 ragwort, &c., and some others — are very 

 subject to them. 



Certain larvae, again, find partial protec- 

 tion from their feeding in the interior of 

 seeds, seed vessels, fruit, &c., such as Eupi- 

 thecia Unariaia and E. venosata, which feed 

 respectively in the seed-vessels of toadflax 

 and Silene. Several Dianthcecia larvae feed 

 in the seed capsules of various species of 

 Lychnis and Sileiie ; and the larvae of the 

 genus CarpocajpscL (tortrix) find "board and 

 lodging" in acorns, apples, &c. Both the 

 EujntJiecia and Diantlimcia, however, are 

 frequently stung by ichneumons. 



The habits of the larvae of the Tineidce, an 

 extensive group of lepidopterous insects, are 

 very various ; many species can be distin- 

 guished from other species of the same 

 genus, whilst feeding on the same plant, by 

 their different habits ; some, such as Tinea, 

 liselliella, construct cases out of the cloth 

 on which they feed, and move about with 

 them as they wish ; the cases of the true 

 case-bearers [Coleoplwra) differ very much 

 in shape, 



