Powdered Wings.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20277, 11 April 1934, Page 6

Powdered Wings.

Nature Notes

By

James Drummond,

F.L.S., F.Z.S.

UNKNOWN to the public on account of their smallness, inconspicuousness, and retiring disposition, are very plentiful insects that have interested entomologists for a long time. Their wings are short and rounded, and are covered with powder, as fine as flour, instead of with the microscopic scales that beautify moths’ and butterflies’ wings. They look like tiny moths. “ The Illustrious Swede,” Linnaeus was excused for classifying them as moths, a mistake rectified years later, when the powder-wings, white-flies, or snow-flies, as they are called, were found to be allies of the piant-lice and the scale insects in a vast order, including many groups with diverse appearance, but all possessing sucking beaks, and most of them vegetarians. New Zealand has at least seven species of powder-wings. It harbours an introduced species, the green-house white-fly, which damages plants in green-houses. A female, before laying her eggs, dusts a space with meal from her wings or body. She sometimes sprinkles her eggs with the same powder, which may have a disagreeable smell, and in that way protect the eggs from enemies. As observed by Mr E. Strep, an English entomologist, powder-wings have an interesting life cycle. After ten. twelve, or fourteen days there comes out of an egg a little powder-wing, with no wings at all, and with a body so absurdly thin and colourless as to be almost diaphanous. From the beginning one remarkable organ is noticeable. This is an opening on the upper side of the hindmost section of the body. It is fitted with a lid, which closes it or opens it, to allow a tongue-like instrument to be extended. Using this equipment the powder-wing produces a sweet, sticky fluid. The seven native species known in New Zealand have been found on native plants only. The green-house white-fly is the only member of the group troublesome in New Zealand.