In this state it is called the pupa, which means doll. Is it not a cunning insect doll? But it is not really a doll. Although so still and apparently lifeless, yet it lives.
Some day it will burst its pupa shell and pull itself out—not a larva now, not a pupa, but a strong-winged insect.
In its adult form, it is known as the horned corydalus.
There! I thought John was saving one for us. He had it in a box in his pocket. Now see what a—a—what shall I say? A beauty? or a monster? That is just as you feel about it.
It certainly is an alarming-looking insect.
Male Corydalus
This one is a male, as we can tell by the long, curved jaws that look very dangerous; but in this instance the creature's appearance is worse than its bite, and the real biter is the female whose jaws are smaller but very useful in nipping tormentors or biting prey.
Now here she is—a fit mate for her formidable-looking companion.
