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Show INSECTA. 170 · l'ke a bagp·tp e . The honey f the M. amalthee is shaped ~1 to the palate, but ex- That o . t and very agreea e 'fh Indians extract a it produces lS swee .' decomposed. e f d l' · d and 1s soon tly on . tremely tq~l 'r h' h they are extt·avagan ~ ssor of geology to · 't f om 1t o w 1c nd pro1e spt' rl d'r • of the A c. Roy · des Sc. ., a fragmen t of ambet· con- M. Cor tel' . . n his possessiOn a , hat other Meliponre the Jardin .du .R.o•, ~:~:his species. It appear::atra. taining an mdtVldu d ·n the island of S -Trigonre, Lat.-are foun 1 - ORDER X. LEPIDOPTERA( 1 ). . tes the series of those f Insects termtna The tenth order o . and presents characters ~ . bed with four wtngs, which are lurms . exclusively peculiar to tt. covered with small, coloured Both sides of the wings are d t that are removed by scales, resembli_ng far~nac~~~ t:: ftnger. A proboscis, to merely coming 1n cont:act 2 or tongue has been affixed, h·ch the name of bngua( ) 1 . overed with scales or w 1 two pa pt, c . h rolled spirally betwe~n t nt part of the mouth, and IS t e h . s forms the most unpor a t xtract the nectar from a1r ' h. h these Insec s e . on instrument with w 1? I ur general observauons up flowers, their only ahme~t. . s:e: that this proboscis or t~unk the class of Insects, we have h ds representing the maxil.lre, is composed of two tubular t r~aba~e a very small (superz.or) each bearing, near its extebrna 1 'The apparent (inferwr) c of a tu ere e. b is re· Palpus in the lorm f sheath to the pro osc ' . h' ch form a sort o t . . they are palpt, those w 1 • f the triturating Insec s' place the labial ~alpt 0 n turned up, composed of three cylindrical or comcal, usua y (1) The Glossata, Fah. ill t the nomenclature of Latreille. (2) The spiritrompe, accor ng o 171 joints, and inserted in a fixed labium, which forms the paries of the portion of the buccal cavity, inferior to the proboscis. Two little and scarcely distinct, corneous, and more or less ciliated pieces, situated, one on each side, on the anterior and superior margin of the front of the head, near the eyes, seem to be vestiges of mandibles. Finally, we observe, and in equally exiguous proportions, the labrum or upper lip. The antennre vary and are always multiarticulated. Two ocelli are observable in several species, but concealed between the scales( I). The three segments of which the trunk of the hexapoda is composed, are united in one single body; the first is very short, and the two others are confounded together. The scutellum is triangular, but the apex is directed towards the head. The wings are simply veined, and vary in size, figure and position; in several, the inferior ones are plaited longitudinally near their inner margin. At the base of each of the superior wings is a kind of epaulette, prolonged posteriorly, that corresponds to the piece called tegula in the Hymenoptera. As it is more developed here, I will call it pterygoda. The abdomen, composed of from six to seven annuli, is attached to the thorax by a very small portion of its diameter, and presents neither sting nor ovipositor analo] ogous to that of the Hymenoptera. In several females, however, as in Cossus, the last rings become narrowed, and extended to form an oviduct resembling a pointed and retractile tail. The tarsi always have five joints. There are never more than two kinds of individuals, males and females. The abdomen of the former is terminated hy a kind of flat forceps which contains the penis. The females usually deposit thei'r ova, frequently very numerous, on the vegetable surfaces which are to nourish their larvre, and soon after perish. The larvre of Lepidopterous Insects are well known by the name gf caterpillars. They have six quamous or hooked (1) Accot•ding to an observation made by Dalman, they do not exist in the Diurn~. |
