NATURE KNOWLEDGE MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES IV

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21534, 25 July 1935, Page 2 (Supplement)

NATURE KNOWLEDGE MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES IV

1 , (ByA.V.C.) ■

The head of the adult moth or butterfly- is small, hairy or scaly, ■with large compound eyes. There is usually a loeg, flexible sucking tongue or proboscis, coiled when not in use, whiqh ia employed to obtiin liquid fcodsuch as the necy tar of flowers. In many species, " however, the tongue is lacking and,

JBead, front vltm tongas •eparaied the creature is unable to take any food; very annoying for boy moths, jrou will admit s The antennae, of many segments, Tlte variable in length end form, fhoee at the male beipg commonly

nor* highly developed and specialtied than taoee of tne female.

The thorax is short and broad; it. is of three segments, but the divisions are hidden by the covering of scales or hair. The legs, sometimes fewer than six, are usually slender, more or loss covered with scales or hair. The abdomen is usually shortish, o4 nine or 10 apparent segments. Breathing is effected as in the larva—there is a pair of breathing openings, cne on each side, on the thorax and a pair on each of the abdominal segments, one to seven. The heart Is simila'r to that of the larva. Large numbers of moths and butterflies have a scent or perfume which Is readily detected by the human nose; this scent is diffused from organs on legs, body, or wings. This moth and butterfly order, the Lepidoptera, i 3 a very large one. widely distributed. Economically it is of considerable importance because of the damage done by th§. larvae to crops, pastures, fruit treed, timber trees, grain, flour, dried fruits, clothes, and furs. The order is well represented in New Zealand, but at the same time this country ia remarkable for the absence of many groups, especially the higher ones, and for the few species of what are fatniliarly known as butterflies. This order Is subject to the attacks of a vast number of

parasites; indeed, it seems to suffer the ravages of parasites to a greater extent than any other. Eggs, larvae, and pupae are destroyed in great numbers by various parasites, particularly by species of the orders Mymenoptera and Diptera. The adults are also subject to the attacks of paras.tes, various mites, but in this case death seldom results. The most noticeable features of the order are the marvellous colourings, particularly of the adults, and the diversity of form in all stages of the life history.