CONCERNING MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 70, 23 March 1935, Page 6 (Supplement)

CONCERNING MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES.

THE INSECTS OF THE DUSTSCALE WINGS.

By E. G. TURBOTT.

LEAVING for the time being the (Straight-folding winged crickets

and their allies, and the lightning flyers of the order of dragon and damsel-flies, we find ourselves attracted in another direction. Touching the wings of a moth or butterfly, we knock off a kind of dust, and in doing so demonstrate the characteristic feature of this new insect order. Gold dust could hardly be more beautiful than this, for the smudge on our fingertip is made up of tiny scales which clothed both surfaces of the wings. Set in minute sockets, these are of various colours and shapes. The scales on the wings of moths and butterflies have given rise to the name of the order — Lepidoptera. Fascinating creatures the butterflies are. They move gracefully, displaying, as they flit here and therej wonderful colours. -The effect is one of decoration. The frail things have added the finishing touch to their natural surroundings. In the sparkling sunshine of summer beauty is now complete. Then there are the moths, many more sober in their coloration, others rivalling or even

surpassing some butterflies, for the latter are not all of the brightest tints. Now we want to know how moths and butterflies differ. The surest way of picking out these scalewinged insects so as to say, "This is a moth" and "This is a butterfly" is to observe their antennae (feelers). In the moths these are of various forms, thread-like or featherlike, but never thread-like with a knob at the tip. In butterflies the antennae are thread-like and are clubbed, having a knob at the extremity. Sometimes the skippers are considered to be separate from the butterflies and to form a third group. They have, as a rule, a recurved hook at the end of the clubbed antennae. This is not present in the other butterflies. For the rest moths are often heavier and clumsier in the body; and the third difference yon miist have noticed many times. I mentioned that most dragon-flies rest with their wings outspread, while damsel-flies generally hold their wings together above their bodies when not in flight.

Look! A tiny blue butterfly has settled on a piece of grey rock. It shuts its wings close together so that the blue upper sides cannot be eeen. How well the grey of the underwings matches the stone! We note the patterns on the upper side of the wing of a moth. These in many cases are just like the surface on which the moth is accustomed to rest. Moths, unlike butterflies, rest with their wings spread out, and

probably on many occasions owe their safety to this resemblance to their surroundings. Thus the habit is similar in moths and dragon-flies, and in butterflies and damsel-flies. Butterflies and moths have four wings, a pair of forewinge, and a pair of hindwinga ■which, in the swallow-tails, have "tails" projecting backwards.

From eggs of various shape come the larval moths, or butterflies, commonly known as caterpillars. Nearly all of these feed on Vegetable matter, mostly on the leaves of plants. Thus this insect order is on the whole harmful to man, injuring his crops, grasses, fruit trees and timber. A few like the silkworms are beneficial. Now, in Australia there are nearly 8000 kinds of moths and butterflies, while in New Zealand the total is about 1200. Of this large number in our own country most of the kinds must be niothe, for there are only 16 or so native butterflies, only half of them being very common. Thus it would be easier to become acquainted with the butterflies thau with the moths. We shall be able to follow this general story in the future with notes about some of both our New Zealand i moths and our butterflies.