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Show 72 INSECTA. RHAPHIDIA, Lin. Fab. . . d the W·l ngs are tee-d of four JOmts an . 1 the thorax Where the tarsi ar.e c~mpo::d and narrowed posterlOr J' the female tiform. The head lS e onga 1' d 'cal The abdomen o . """ d 1 ost cy m rl · f two lamm~. long, narrow, an am 1 oviduct, formed o 8 Half an . b long externa II :x:x.v, 4- · tcrmmates Y a D Geer Insect., ' 11 'sh streaks; R. ophiosis, L.; e ' arked with ye owl. the inch long; black; ~bdho~~:c:spot near the extremity. In . arent Wlt a wmgs transp ' d has the woods. . . fissures of the bark of trees, an The larva hves m the I is very lively( 1 ). form of a little Serpent. t TERMES, HEMEROBIUS, Lin. . mpose d of four ). oints; but dth.e Where all the tarsi are li~~;l~~r~:ontally on the body; the bea lS . are very long, and al semicircular. wmgs d and the thorax almo~t square or d and their antennre are round: ~ody of these Insects lS depress~~uth is almost similar to bTorht and rl ormed like a chaplet. 1 Tbihuem . d 'fid. They have 1S qua rl sh t f the Orthoptera, and the a r head is indistinct; the two t a o · h n the 1ore ' · f three ocelli, one of whlc ' o each side, near the inner mda.rgl: o s are situated, one on monly somewhat lap an· ~~~e;rdinary eyes. Their .wings :~:~lomfine and crowded nervures, ons coloured, furnished w~th le~t d T~leir abdomen has two small, ; not very distinctly retlCU a e • tremit • the legs are short. ::nical, biarticulated po.ints at ~~: e;ountri:.• situated between th~ The Termites, pecu~Iar to . cent are known by the name. o . or to those which are ~d]a ' The appalling destruction tropics, d b ·s Cana, &c. . h se 'White .R.nts, Poux e ot ' . 1 1 'n the state of larvre, m t o d by these Insects, particu ar y 1 These larvre, the work· cause . t ;vell known. r t f the world, 1S but oo ' blance to the perlec parts o b a close resem . h ing Termites or labourers, fear d apterous, and their head, whlc • b dy is so ter an has Insect; but their. o . is usually destitute of eyes, o~ . Ppears proportionally large~' . . ty and form commumtles, a They 11 ve m soc1e , in but very small ones. 1 • which live under cover t defy al1 calcu atiOn, tables, so numerous as o 11 t of ligneous articles, such as the groun d , t I.e e s ' and a sor . i h F unl Etrusca b <"~03· Fab. Entom. Syst., and Illiger's edit. a t e a (1) Lat., I ·P·"' ' ' of Rossi. NEUROPTEHA. 73 ehairs, 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 crumble into dust(l). 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, occasiona1Iy 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 their stouter and more elongated 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 t<1 Smeathmann, the larv::e seize upon all the couples they can find, and shut them up in a large ceiJ, 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 larv::e, 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 larv::e 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. .!J.m. Ed. VoL. IV.-K |
