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Show 72 INSECTA. RHAPHIDIA, Lin. Fab. . osed of 1.l' our ]•O•lD ts and the wings are tee- Where the tars1 are comp d posteriorly, the thorax . 1 ted and narrowe tiform. The head lS e onga . . l Th abdomen of the fema1 e d 1 ost cylmdr1ca · e . long, narrow, an am 1 'd t formed of two lammre. terminates b Y a 1o ng externa ovl uI c ' t II xxv 4-8. H aI f an 1. • L • De Geer nsec ., ' ' k R. op,tws~s, ·' ' k d with yellowish strea s; l black. abdomen mar e . I h inch ong; ' . bl k s ot near the extremity. n t e wings transparent, With a ac p woTohdse. larva lives in the fissures of th bark of trees, and has the ~ form of a little Serpent. It is very hvely( 1 ). TERMES, HEMEROBIUS, Lin. . . . sed of four joints; but the Where all the tlarsl a::t~~;~:r~zo=~a~ly on the body; the head is .vings are very ong, . . ' h almost square or semlclrcu1 a r. rounded, and the t orax . d essed and their antennre are The body of these Insects ~s e~he m~uth is almost similar to short and formed like a chap et. . . d 'fid They have f h 0 th tera and the labiUm lS qua ri . that o t e. r opf h'. h on the forehead, is indistinct; the two h Ocelh one 0 W lC ' ' f t ree ' h . d near the inner margm o others are situated, one on eac Sl e, d. han· . Their wings are commonly somewhat lap the ordmaryde~:~nisbed with extremely fine and crowded nervures, ~::\' ~~!o::rey distinctly reticulated. Thei~ abdomen has two small, • 1 biarticulated points at the extremity; the legs are short. h comca 'T . t peculiar to the countries situated between t e The errol es, b l e or ics or to those which are adjacent, are known. y t le nam . tWrohpit e .R' .nts, p oux de bo t.s , Caria ' &c • The appalhng dest·r ucuon those ed by these Insects, particularly in the state of larvre, m k c:~:s o£ the world, is but too well known. These larv:e, the wor,; ¥ Termites or labourers, bear a close resemblance to the per~e tIn g t• but their body is softer and apterous, an d t h e1· r h e ad ' which nsec , . f bas a ears proportionally larger, is usually dest1tute o eyes, o~ . b~f very small ones. They live in society, and form commumtie.s, s numerous as to defy all calculation, which live under cover In t~e ground, trees, and all sort of ligneous articles, such as tables, (1) Lat., Ib. p. 203; Fab., Entom. Syst., and Illiger's edit. o.f the Fauna Etrusc• of Rossi. NEUROPTERA. 73 chairs, furniture of all kinds, aud the planks, timbers, &c. &c. which form parts of houses. There they excavate galleries, which form so many roads, all leading to the centre of their domicil, and these bodies thus mined, and retaining nothing but a superficial bark or covering, soon crumb]e into dust( 1 ). If compelled by any insurmountable obstacle to leave their dwellings, they construct tubes or ways which still keep them from sight. The nests or domicils of several species are exterior, but have no visible opening. Sometimes they are raised above the surface of the ground, in the form of pyramids or turrets, occasionally surmounted with a capital or very solid roof, which by their height and number, resemble a little village. Sometimes they form a large globular mass on the branches of trees. Another sort of individuals, the neute1·s, also called soldiers, and which Fabricius erroneously considers as nymplts, defend the domicil. They are distinguished by theil· stoutet· and more e1ongated head, the mandibles of which are also longer, narrower and considerably crossed. They are much less numerous than the others, and remain near the surface of the habitation, are the first that present themselves in case of an attack, and pinch with considerable strength. It is also said that they force the labourers to work . The seminymphs have rudiments of wings, and in other respects resemble the larv<E. Having become perfect Insects, the Termites leave their original retreat, and fly off at evening or during the night in incalculable numbers. At sunrise, they lose their wings, which are dried up, fall to the ground, and are mostly devoured by Birds, Lizards, and the rest of their enemies. According ta Smeathmann, the larvre seize upon all the couples they can find, and shut them up in a large cell, a sort of nuptial prison, where they supply them with nourishment. I have reason to believe, however, that their coitus, like that of the Ant, takes place in the air or beyond the precincts of their habitation, and that the females alone occupy the attention of the larvre, with a view to the formation of a new colony. The abdomen of the female acquires an astonishing size, from the innumerable quantity of ova contained in it. The nuptial chamber is placed in the centre of the dwelling, and round it, symmetrically arranged, are the cells which contain the eggs and provisions. The larvre of certain Termites called voyageurs or travellers, are · (1) I saw a beautiful edifice in the Isle of France that was abandoned within a ~w months after it was completed, on this account. The whole building was a mere shell. .11m. Ed. VoL. IV.-K |
