LEPIDOPTERA . 
257 
Other Case-bearers .—The two case-bearers described 
above make their cases out of fragments of leaves; there 
are others that use the husks of seeds which they have 
eaten. Such cases are extremely protective, appearing to 
be merely seeds. But there are some Tineid case-bearers 
that make their cases entirely of silk. These are usually 
more or less nearly cylindrical, and are carried projecting 
out at a considerable angle from the object upon which the 
insect walks. When the insect is at rest and when it is 
undergoing its transformations the mouth of the case is 
closely fastened to some object, so that the insect is com¬ 
pletely concealed. Considerable differences exist in the 
form of these silken cases. In a quite common type the 
case is nearly cylindrical, with a flaring lip at the head end, 
and with the hind end three-sided, as if it had been pinched 
between one’s thumb and two fingers. In another type the 
hind end of the case is somewhat enlarged and curved down¬ 
ward so that the case is shaped like a pistol. 
The Clothes-moths .—These are the dread of every house¬ 
keeper. The mere mention of the word “moths” is enough 
to conjure up visions of household treasures of woolen and fur 
eaten full of holes, their beauty gone, their usefulness past. 
It was formerly supposed that these well-known injuries 
were caused by a single species; but it has since been dis¬ 
covered that we have in this country three species of clothes- 
moths. These differ in habits as well as in structure. 
The Case-bearing Clothes-moth, Tinea pellionella (Tin'e-a 
pel-li-o-neria).—The larva of this species is a true case- 
bearer, making a case out of bits of its food-material which 
are fastened together with silk. As the larva grows it en¬ 
larges its case by adding to each end and by slitting it and 
inserting a piece. Instructive specimens can be obtained by 
rearing the larvae, and changing them from time to time 
from flannel of one color to that of another. The shape of 
the successive additions to the case, being of different colors, 
can be easily seen. The pupa state is passed within the 
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