“As an order this must be considered the most injurious of the seven.
Fig. 17.—A Clothes-moth (Tinea pellionella)—enlarged.
a, adult; b, larva; c, larva in case.
“A convenient system of classification for the Lepidoptera is based on the structure of the antennæ. By it we get two great sections: 1st, Butterflies (Rhopalocera); 2d, Moths (Heterocera), which latter may again be divided into Crepuscular and Nocturnal Moths. Butterflies are at once distinguished from moths by their antennæ being straight, stiff and knobbed, and by being day-fliers or diurnal; while moths have the antennæ tapering to a point, and are, for the most part, night-flyers or nocturnal. The crepuscular moths, composed mostly of the Sphinges or Hawk-moths, hover over flowers at eve, and connect the two sections not only in habit, but in the character of the antennæ which first thicken toward the end, and then suddenly terminate in a point or hook.
Fig. 18.—A Plant-bug
(Euschistus punctipes).
“Order [HEMIPTERA] (ἡμι, half; πτερον, wing), Bugs. The insects of this order are naturally separated into two great sections; 1st, Half-winged Bugs, or Heteroptera (ἑτερος, different; πτερον, wing) having the basal half of the front wings (called hemelytra) coriaceous or leathery, while the apical part is membranous. The wings cross flatly over the back when at rest; 2d, Whole-winged Bugs, or Homoptera (ὁμος, equal; πτερον, wing), having all four wings of a uniform membranous nature and folding straight down the back when at rest. The latter, if separated, may be looked upon as a Suborder.
Fig. 19.—A Soldier-bug
(Milyas cinctus).
b, beak enlarged.
“Transformations incomplete; i. e., the larvæ and pupæ have more or less the image of the perfect insect, and differ little from it except in lacking wings.