ENTOMOLOGY. 
Imago is the third state. This name is 
given by Linnaeus to the third change, in 
which the insect appears in its proper shape 
and colours ; and as it undergoes no more 
transformations, it is called perfect. In this 
state it flies, is capable of propagating its spe- 
cies, and receives its true autenu e ; winch 
before, in most insects, were scarcely appa- 
rent. 
As the shape of the pupa is different in 
different classes of insects, it assumes differ- 
ent names ; thus it is called 
Coaretata, when it is round, and as it were 
turned, without the least resemblance to the 
structure of the insect ; as in the diptera. 
Obtecta, when it consists as it were of two 
parts, one of which surrounds the head and 
thorax, and the other the abdomen. 
lncompleta, when they have wings and 
feet, but are not capable of moving them : as 
in most of the hymenoptera. 
Semi-coinpleta, in which they walk or run, 
but have only the rudiments of wings. 
Completa, in which they immediately ob- 
tain the perfect form of the insect, without 
undergoing any more change : as in those of 
the aptera class, except only the tiea. The 
bed-bug also belongs to this class. 
The spider undergoes frequent transfor- 
mations, though only in the colour of its 
skin. The crustaceous insects, as crabs, lob- 
sters, &c. yearly cast their shells, or their 
growth would otherwise be impeded. The 
scolopendri,when young, have fewer feet than 
when they are full-grown. All insects, as soon 
as they undergo the third change, are arrived 
at their full growth ; nor do we find any dif- 
ference in the size of the same species ol'in- 
sect in the same countries, unless, during its 
caterpillar state, it has not had a sufficiency 
of proper food. 
Of the classification of insects. 
The insect tribe being endowed with the 
various powers of creeping, flying, and swim- 
ming, there is scarcely any place, however re- 
mote and obscure, in which they are not to 
be found. The great confusion which ap- 
peared to the antients to arise from their 
number, made them never dream of redu- 
. ring them to any system. Swammerdam, that 
indefatigable enquirer into nature, observed, 
that their metamorphoses were divided by 
nature into several states or orders. Their 
external appearance also carried with it some 
mark of distinction: so that entomologists 
called all those of the coleoptera class scara- 
bxi (beetles) ; those of the kpidoptera papi- 
liones; and those of the gymnoptera class 
-that had two wings only, muscat (flies) ; 
those of the same class that had four wings, 
were called apes (bees). No farther pro 
gress was made in the systematic part of this 
science till the time of Linnaeus. He was 
the first that undertook to determine the ge- 
nera, and assign them their proper charac- 
ters, in the Systems Naturie ; and thus re- 
duced this science to a systematic form, 
This system, in subsequent editions, was con- 
siderably enriched and amended by him, in- 
somuch that tiie science of insects now shines 
forth in its full lustre. He it was who first 
instituted natural orders, and reduced them 
into genera by expressive names ; determin- 
ed infinite number of species in the Fauna 
Suecica and Museum Regime ; collected with 
incredible pains the synonymous names of 
the various authors who had written on them ; 
and, lastly, added their descriptions, and the 
places in which they were to be found : so 
that the system of this illustrious author will 
lead any person, without the assistance of a 
master, for the most part, easily to ascertain 
the name of any insect he may meet with. 
Before his time scarcely, any more than 200 
insects were known ; whereas, in the last edi- 
tion of his system, he lias determined the 
names of nearly 3000 distinct species ; though 
this is not the sixth part of the number that 
is now known. 
Orders . — The class af insects is divided by 
Linnauis into seven orders. 1. The coleop- 
tera (from xojXeo?, a 'sheath, and -ampo v, a wing), 
are such insects' as have crustaceous el\ era 
or shells, which shut together, and form a 
longitudinal suture down the back of the in- 
sect ; as the beetle (buprestis ignita), fig. 77. 
2. Hemiptera (from r.^uv, half, and mrspoy, a 
wing), have their upper wings usually half 
crustaceous and half membranaceous, not di- 
vided by a longitudinal suture, but incum- 
bent on each other; as the cimex, lig. 78. 
3. Lepidoptera (from xe , w, a scale, and tsrepoy, 
a wing), are insects having four wings, cover- 
ed with fine scales in the form of powder or 
meal; as in the butterfly (papilio antiopa), 
lig. 79. 4. Neuroptera (from vet yoy, a nerve, 
and arrepoy, a wing), have four membranous 
trail spurent naked wings, generally like net- 
work ; as in tiie panorpa coa, fig. -80. 5. 
Hymenoptera (from vy.w, a membrane, and 
mrepov, a wing), are insects with tour mem- 
branous wings ; tail furnished with a sting, 
as in the tenthredo, fig. 81. 6. Diptera 
(from Svw, two, and tsnpoy, a wing), are such 
as have only two wings and poisers ; as in 
the fly (musca), fig. 82. 7. Aptera (from <*, 
without, and wrq> ov, a wing), insects having- 
no wings. The fast division contains scor- 
pions, spiders, crabs, lobsters, ike. See Ara- 
nea, Cancer, &c. 
Genera . — It is not necessary to insert here 
the characters of all the different genera 
which may be found in Linnjeus’s Syst. Nat. 
It will be sufficient to enumerate some new 
genera mentioned by subsequent systematic 
writers ; so that by being acquainted with the 
subtile distinctions on which they are built, 
the student may avoid running into confu- 
sion. It is among the moderns only that ge- 
nera of this kind are to be met with, and new 
names given them. To remove this diffi- 
culty, we shall first enumerate those names 
adopted by authors, which are synonymous 
with those of Linnams. 
New genera cf authors synonymous ivitli 
those oj Linnaeus. 
In this account we shall distinguish the 
names which ether authors have given by 
Italics. Thus, lucanus has been named pla- 
tyceros. Blister, attelahus. By t rim s, un- 
til rants cislela. Mylabris, lari a scop. At- 
lelabus, dents, brlpha, peltis. Bruchus, 
mylabris. PtinuiS, byrrhus. Cbrysomela, 
galericula. Blispa, cnoseris. Cantharis, 
cindmlda. Buprestis, - cucujus. Carabus, 
buprestis. Myrnxeleou ,formica-leo. birex, 
uroceros. 
New genera of authors,. 
Copris, scarabams absque scutdlo. Bostri- 
cius, dermesutes capeciuus. Cistela, byrr- 
hus piiuia. Rkinomancer, attelabus rostro 
637 
proclucto fere curculionis. Anthrihus , silplia. 
Bruchus, ptiivus fur ob spinas thoracis, Afy- 
loiomh.i, chrysomela cylindrica. Attica , 
chrysomela saltatoria. Diaperis, chrysome- 
la fungorum. Pyrochora , cantharis. Ttle- 
phorus, cantharis. Cantharis, melee alata. 
Cerocorna, meloe shafferi. Notaxis, meloe 
monoceros. Pr tonus, cerambyx thoracis 
margine denticulato. . Slenocoris, leptura 
thoraee spinosa. Ilydrophilus, dytiseus ati- 
tennis clavalis. Mylabris, necydalis minor. 
Acridium, gryllus muticus. Locusta, gryl- 
lus tettigonm. Tettigonia, cicada. Corixa, 
notonecta. Naucoceris, nepa. Perhi, lie- 
merobius cauda bisecta. Libdtuloides, myr- 
meleon antennis capitatis. Crabro, tenthre- 
do antennis clavalis. Pterophorus, phaltena 
alucita. Bibio, tipula thoraee spinoso. Sto- 
moxnides, asilus bucca inflata. Strationymus, 
musca. Nemotelus, musca. Polucella, 
musca. 
These genera appear to be in a great mea- 
sure like those which were introduced into 
botany by the followers of Rivinus. Paying 
too little regard to nature, they disunited na- 
tural genera, on account of the most trifling 
distinctions. Phis made their continuance 
in the s ience of very short duration.; Our 
business here is not to suppose, but to exa- 
mine, what nature will allow of, and what she 
will not. Knowledge of this kind, built on 
opinion only, will not stand. Vfe are there- 
fore to look into the science with great accu- 
racy ; and the larva of the insect, its man- 
ner of changing, and other things of moment, 
are to be known, before we presume to form 
a new genus. 
Coining of new names, and changing of 
one old one for another,. has been the source 
of the greatest confusion. Thus, in order to 
reduce the cicindela and carabus to the same 
genus, buprestis has been adopted for the ge- 
neric name ; but as that genus had long ago 
received a very different application, it was 
changed for that of cucujus. Again, that the 
officinal cantharides might be ranged among 
the cerambyces, the cantharides have been 
removed from the genus of meloe (to w hich 
they naturally belong), and referred to the 
genus of cicindela, obtaining thus a new 
name r and so of many others. Thus also, 
to mention no more, how needless and rash 
was it to separate the acridium and locusta 
from the genus of gryllus, the crabro from 
the tenthredines, and the mylabris from tiie 
necydalis ! 
Trivial names . — The trivial names placed 
under their respective genera will occasion 
little or no controversy; they are current 
like money, and of the same utility as the 
proper names of men,. Peter or Paul, &c. 
Insects living on vegetables should receive 
their names from the particular plants on 
which they mostly feed, as that method is 
preferable to all others. Thus the names of 
the p hal am a mori, &c„ are excellent ; and 
when we are able to give such to insects, the 
old ones are to be discarded. But we are to- 
be cautious and not too hasty in our 
judgment in this respect;, as insects, when 
they cannot get their favourite food, w ill often 
eat other plants- Tiius the silkworm, for 
want of mulberry-leaves, will eat those i f 
lettuce, though it will not be so well nourish 
ed by them. 
Various other instances of the invention of 
trivial names will be met with in the Sy sterna 
