CONTENTS

  1. Introduction [1]
  2. Growth and Change [8]
  3. The Life-stories of some Sucking Insects [16]
  4. From Water to Air [23]
  5. Transformations, Outward and Inward [35]
  6. Larvae and their Adaptations [49]
  7. Pupae and their Modifications [79]
  8. The Life-story and the Seasons [89]
  9. Past and Present—the Meaning of the Story [105]
  10. Outline Classification of Insects [122]
  11. Table of Geological Systems [123]
  12. Bibliography [124]
  13. Index [129]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  1. Stages of the Diamond-back Moth (Plutella cruciferarum) [3]
  2. Head of typical Moth [5]
  3. Head of Caterpillar [5]
  4. Common Cockroach (Blatta orientalis) [12]
  5. Nymph of Locust (Schistocera americana) [13]
  6. Aphis pomi, winged and wingless females [19]
  7. Mussel Scale-Insect (Mytilaspis pomorum) [21]
  8. Emergence of Dragon-fly (Aeschna cyanea) [29-31]
  9. Nymph of May-fly (Chloeon dipterum) [33]
  10. Imaginal buds of Butterfly [39]
  11. Imaginal buds of Blow-fly [43]
  12. Carrion Beetle (Silpha) and larva [51]
  13. Larva of Ground-beetle (Aepus) [52]
  14. Willow-beetle (Phyllodecta) and larva [53]
  15. Cabbage-beetle (Psylliodes) and larva [54]
  16. Corn Weevil (Calandra) and larva [55]
  17. Ruby Tiger Moth (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) [61]
  18. Larvae and Pupa of Hive-bee (Apis mellifica) [65]
  19. Larva of Gall-midge (Contarinia nasturtii) [68]
  20. Crane-fly (Tipula oleracea) and larva [69]
  21. Maggot of House-fly (Musca domestica) [71]
  22. Ox Warble-fly (Hypoderma bovis) with egg, larva, and puparium [75]
  23. Pupa of White Butterfly (Pieris) [85]

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

Among the manifold operations of living creatures few have more strongly impressed the casual observer or more deeply interested the thoughtful student than the transformations of insects. The schoolboy watches the tiny green caterpillars hatched from eggs laid on a cabbage leaf by the common white butterfly, or maybe rears successfully a batch of silkworms through the changes and chances of their lives, while the naturalist questions yet again the 'how' and 'why' of these common though wondrous life-stories, as he seeks to trace their course more fully than his predecessors knew.