merely to afford sufficient space for the motion of the under wings,
as they do not .in the least accelerate the flight of thé insect.
• •They , are either,1
Truncata, truncated, or cut off in a direct line at their extremity.^
Fastigiata, when of equal or greater length than the abdomen,
terminating in a transverse line.
. Spinosa, spinous, with sharp, or obtuse elevations.
Serrated, or with the outer margin armed with teeth like a saw.
Their surface is either,
Scabra, scabrous, rough.
Striata,. striated, with small longitudinal furrows. 1
Porcata, porcated, or ridged longitudinally.
Sulcata, sulcated, with deep furrows.
Punctata, or marked with distinct spots., i i
Hemelytra, when their substance is more compact, and stronger
than the under ones.
The halteres, or poizers, which are formed of a small head at the
end of a stalk, are peculiar to the Dipterous, or two-winged insects,
and arè supposed to assist in giving an equilibrium to their bodies
when flying.
Cauda, the tail, in general is simple, and capable of extension and
contraction. It is either,
SetaCea, bristle-shaped, as in the raphidia.
Triseta, forming three bristles, as in some of the ephemera.
Furcata, forked, as in the podura.
Forcipata, like forceps, as in the forficula.
Telifera, armed with a dart or sting, as the panorpa, and scorpion.
Aculeusi!. the dart < or sting5 with which'theiy inflict a .wound,
andi at the isame time distil a subtleupoison, as in the <bees,r
wasps j < »W ■’ \'J
Insects are either male, female, or neuter; the latter are destined'
by mature to the Service ofithe more'perfectunseCtsySas-amongwthe
bees, wasps, and ants. :
. Most'insect® undergo a triple metamorphosis, before they, are
complete i in all* their parts. and the Entomologist should endStHttiur
to make himself acquainted, as far as< possible, with'tevery particular
respecting them in each of those states or changes.
The egg, or first state, is expelled in the same manner as those
of other oviparous animals.
From the egg comes the larva, or caterpillar, formed of a humid
substance, impotent, slow, and without wings, borne larvas have
many feet, others none.
The pupa, chrysalis, or grub, is smaller, and more firm and
hard than the larva, some are bare, others have a species of web for
their covering.
The pupa is either,
Completa, complete, having legs, and using all its limbs, as does
the aranea, spider; acarus, the tick; oniscus, the wood-louse.
Semicompleta, or half complete, having feet, with the appearance
only of wings, as in the gryllus, grasshopper ; the cicada,
frog-hopper; cimex, the bug; libellula, the dragon fly; ephemera,
kc.
Incompleta, incomplete, having feet and wings, but whicli are
immoveable, as is observable in the tipula, the ant, and the bee.