The caterpillars are hardly hatched before they begin to clothe themselves. Réaumur observed one of these worms during the operation of enlarging its case. To do this it put its head out of one of the extremities of its sheath, and looked about eagerly, to the right and to the left, for those bits of wool which suited it best for weaving in. In [Fig. 294], we see two larvæ occupied in eating a piece of cloth.
Fig. 294.—Larvæ of the Woollen Moth (Tinea tapezella).
"The larva changes its place continually and very quickly," says Réaumur. "If the threads of wool which are near it are not such as it desires, it draws sometimes more than half its body out of its case to go and look for better ones farther off. If it finds a bit that pleases, the head remains fixed for an instant; it then seizes the thread with the two mandibles which are below its head, tears the bit out after redoubled efforts, and immediately carries it to the end of the tube against which it attaches it. It repeats many times in succession a similar manœuvre, sometimes coming partly out of its tube, and then again re-entering it to fix against one of its sides a new piece of wool."
After having worked for about a minute at one end of its tube, it thinks of lengthening the other. It turns itself round in its tube with such quickness, that you would imagine it could not have had time to do so, and would think that its tail was formed in the same way as its head, and possessed the same address in choosing and tearing out the bits of wool.
Furthermore, when the moth which is working at elongating its case does not find the threads or hairs of wool to its taste within reach of its head, it changes its place. Réaumur saw this insect walking, at some speed even, carrying with it its case. It walks on its six front legs ([Fig. 295]). With the middle and hind legs it clings to the interior of its case.
