Fig. 292.Tinea granella.When it has attained its full size it spins itself a cocoon of white silk in the interior of the grain, which, after having been its lodging and its larder, becomes for some time its tomb. It has, however, taken care beforehand to make at the extremity of the grain a circular opening, through which the moth may come out when the grains have been threshed and stored up in the granary.It is important to mention theTineina, not because these little moths are beautiful—they are, on the contrary, very dingy—but because it is in this group that are found those insects which do the greatest damage to our crops. The moths of the genusTineaare very small. Their wings, which are greyish or brownish, are generally marked with whitish and yellowish spots or lines. These are the little moths which, in our houses, burn themselves so frequently in the flames of the candles.Their caterpillars are small, voracious, and deserve, on account of the damage which they cause, to be compared to rats and mice. Furnished with powerful jaws, they destroy everything they find in their way, such as woollen stuffs, hair, furs, feathers, grain, &c.TheTineinaare divisible into three groups: 1st, the species hurtful to our stuffs and furs; 2ndly, the species which destroy our corn crops; 3rdly, thephytophagousspecies, that is to say, those which feed on plants.In the first subdivision must be classed the Fur Moth, the Woollen Moth, and the Hair Moth.The Woollen Moth is represented in the figure on next page. Its caterpillar has the form of a worm, and is of a glossy whiteness, with a few hairs thinly sprinkled over it and a grey line on its back. It is enclosed in a tube, or sheath, open at both ends, in the interior ofwhich is a sort of tissue of wool, sometimes blue, sometimes green, sometimes red, according to the colour of the stuff to which the insect attaches itself and which it despoils. The exterior of this sheath is, on the contrary, formed of silk made by the insect itself, of a whitish colour.Fig. 293.The Woollen Moth(Tinea tapezella).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. InFig. 294, we see two larvæ occupied in eating a piece of cloth.Fig. 294.—Larvæ of the Woollen MothFig. 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.Fig. 295.—Larva of a Tinea walking.At the same time that the larva becomes longer it becomes stouter. Very soon its garment will be too narrow for it. Will it enlarge its old coat, or will it make itself a new one? Réaumur discovered that it preferred to widen its old coat.That is what our naturalist saw when he placed larvæ with blue cases, for instance, upon stuff of a red colour. The bands which extended in straight lines from one end of the case to the other, showed the part that had been added."From watching them at different times," says this admirable observer, "I find that the means which they employ is precisely that to which we should have had recourse in a similar case. We know of no other way of widening a sheath, a case of any stuff that we find too narrow, than to split it right up and to let in a piece of the proper size between the parts which we have thus divided; we should let in a piece on each side if the shape of the tube seemed to require it. This is also exactly what our larvæ do, with an extra, and which with them is a necessary, precaution, so as not to remain exposed while they are working at the enlargement of their garment. Instead of two pieces, which should each be as long as their case, they let in four, each of which is not longer than half the length of their case; and so they never split up more than half the length of the case at the same time, which has enough stuff left in it to keep it together while this opening is being filled up."The wools of our stuffs furnish the moths not only with clothing, but also with food. Their excrements are little grains, which are the same colour as the wool they have eaten.Fig. 296.Case of the Moth attached to a piece of cloth.When they are full grown, and the time approaches for theirmetamorphosis, the larvæ abandon their food, and establish themselves in the angles of walls. They creep up to the ceilings and suspend themselves to them by one extremity of their tube. The two ends of the tube are now closed by a silken tissue (Fig. 296). The larva thus enclosed very soon changes its form; it becomes a chrysalis; then at the end of about three weeks it is set free as a moth.The Fur or Skin Moth works like the carpet moth: it makes itself a case of the same form, and constructs it in the same manner. Only in this case its covering is made of a sort of felt resembling that of which our hats are made.While the Carpet Moth only detaches from the various stuffs the wool it requires for clothing and nourishment, the Fur Moth causes much more considerable and more rapid damage. It cuts off all the hairs which are in its way right down to the skin; it seems as if it took a delight in cutting them off. That which is necessary for its wants is nothing in comparison to the great quantity of hair one sees fall off a skin on which it has established itself, when it is shaken. As it advances it cuts more thoroughly than a razor could all the hairs which are in its way.The Hair Moth (Fig. 297) shows itself in great numbers in the perfect state, from the end of April till the beginning of June. They appear again in September, and generally stay behind cabinets and other pieces of furniture.Fig. 297.—Hair Moth.The caterpillar, which is cylindrical, white, destitute of hair, and striped with brown, lives principally in the hair with which furniture is stuffed, and sometimes in hair mattresses. When it has reached its full size, it abandons its abode, pierces through the stuff which covers the hair, and constructs for itself with this stuff a case of silk, open only towards the end where the head is. At the beginning of April it shuts its case, and changes itself into a chrysalis.We can only here mention some of the phytophagous species, as the Cherry-tree Moth (Tinea cerasiella), the Hawthorn Moth (Tinea cratægella), the Burdock Moth (Tinea lapella), and the Rustic Moth (Tinea rusticella).The caterpillars of theŒcophoræresemble whitish worms. They attack the leaves, the blossoms, the bark, and certain parts of the fruit of trees. Some of these hollow out for themselves galleries ineating the fleshy part; others also make galleries, but only in the cuticle of the tree, or in the tenderest part of its bark. Some, again, shut themselves up in one or many leaves rolled like a trumpet, while others keep at the summits of plants, whose leaves they bind together in a parcel with threads. And, lastly, some devour the stones of fruits, such as that of the olive.The moths of these caterpillars are very small, and generally of brilliant metallic colours, they are to be found in the woods, and still more in the orchards, from the beginning of June till the month of September.TheŒcophoræare very slim and elegantly formed. Their anterior wings, which are very narrow, are often ornamented with silvery longitudinal lines, the posterior wings exactly resembling two feathers.The caterpillars live and metamorphose themselves in portable cases, which they manufacture from the membranous portions of leaves, whose flesh alone they eat. These cases are generally of a brown colour, resembling a dead leaf. They are attached perpendicularly under the leaves of many trees, but often under those of fruit trees.Certain species ofŒcophoræhave cases partly covered with loose pieces only slightly attached, formed of portions of leaves, and arranged in such a way that Réaumur compares them to the furbelows which ladies used formerly to attach to the bottom of their dresses.
Fig. 292.Tinea granella.
When it has attained its full size it spins itself a cocoon of white silk in the interior of the grain, which, after having been its lodging and its larder, becomes for some time its tomb. It has, however, taken care beforehand to make at the extremity of the grain a circular opening, through which the moth may come out when the grains have been threshed and stored up in the granary.
It is important to mention theTineina, not because these little moths are beautiful—they are, on the contrary, very dingy—but because it is in this group that are found those insects which do the greatest damage to our crops. The moths of the genusTineaare very small. Their wings, which are greyish or brownish, are generally marked with whitish and yellowish spots or lines. These are the little moths which, in our houses, burn themselves so frequently in the flames of the candles.
Their caterpillars are small, voracious, and deserve, on account of the damage which they cause, to be compared to rats and mice. Furnished with powerful jaws, they destroy everything they find in their way, such as woollen stuffs, hair, furs, feathers, grain, &c.
TheTineinaare divisible into three groups: 1st, the species hurtful to our stuffs and furs; 2ndly, the species which destroy our corn crops; 3rdly, thephytophagousspecies, that is to say, those which feed on plants.
In the first subdivision must be classed the Fur Moth, the Woollen Moth, and the Hair Moth.
The Woollen Moth is represented in the figure on next page. Its caterpillar has the form of a worm, and is of a glossy whiteness, with a few hairs thinly sprinkled over it and a grey line on its back. It is enclosed in a tube, or sheath, open at both ends, in the interior ofwhich is a sort of tissue of wool, sometimes blue, sometimes green, sometimes red, according to the colour of the stuff to which the insect attaches itself and which it despoils. The exterior of this sheath is, on the contrary, formed of silk made by the insect itself, of a whitish colour.
Fig. 293.The Woollen Moth(Tinea tapezella).
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. InFig. 294, we see two larvæ occupied in eating a piece of cloth.
Fig. 294.—Larvæ of the Woollen MothFig. 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.
Fig. 295.—Larva of a Tinea walking.
At the same time that the larva becomes longer it becomes stouter. Very soon its garment will be too narrow for it. Will it enlarge its old coat, or will it make itself a new one? Réaumur discovered that it preferred to widen its old coat.
That is what our naturalist saw when he placed larvæ with blue cases, for instance, upon stuff of a red colour. The bands which extended in straight lines from one end of the case to the other, showed the part that had been added.
"From watching them at different times," says this admirable observer, "I find that the means which they employ is precisely that to which we should have had recourse in a similar case. We know of no other way of widening a sheath, a case of any stuff that we find too narrow, than to split it right up and to let in a piece of the proper size between the parts which we have thus divided; we should let in a piece on each side if the shape of the tube seemed to require it. This is also exactly what our larvæ do, with an extra, and which with them is a necessary, precaution, so as not to remain exposed while they are working at the enlargement of their garment. Instead of two pieces, which should each be as long as their case, they let in four, each of which is not longer than half the length of their case; and so they never split up more than half the length of the case at the same time, which has enough stuff left in it to keep it together while this opening is being filled up."
The wools of our stuffs furnish the moths not only with clothing, but also with food. Their excrements are little grains, which are the same colour as the wool they have eaten.
Fig. 296.Case of the Moth attached to a piece of cloth.
When they are full grown, and the time approaches for theirmetamorphosis, the larvæ abandon their food, and establish themselves in the angles of walls. They creep up to the ceilings and suspend themselves to them by one extremity of their tube. The two ends of the tube are now closed by a silken tissue (Fig. 296). The larva thus enclosed very soon changes its form; it becomes a chrysalis; then at the end of about three weeks it is set free as a moth.
The Fur or Skin Moth works like the carpet moth: it makes itself a case of the same form, and constructs it in the same manner. Only in this case its covering is made of a sort of felt resembling that of which our hats are made.
While the Carpet Moth only detaches from the various stuffs the wool it requires for clothing and nourishment, the Fur Moth causes much more considerable and more rapid damage. It cuts off all the hairs which are in its way right down to the skin; it seems as if it took a delight in cutting them off. That which is necessary for its wants is nothing in comparison to the great quantity of hair one sees fall off a skin on which it has established itself, when it is shaken. As it advances it cuts more thoroughly than a razor could all the hairs which are in its way.
The Hair Moth (Fig. 297) shows itself in great numbers in the perfect state, from the end of April till the beginning of June. They appear again in September, and generally stay behind cabinets and other pieces of furniture.
Fig. 297.—Hair Moth.
The caterpillar, which is cylindrical, white, destitute of hair, and striped with brown, lives principally in the hair with which furniture is stuffed, and sometimes in hair mattresses. When it has reached its full size, it abandons its abode, pierces through the stuff which covers the hair, and constructs for itself with this stuff a case of silk, open only towards the end where the head is. At the beginning of April it shuts its case, and changes itself into a chrysalis.
We can only here mention some of the phytophagous species, as the Cherry-tree Moth (Tinea cerasiella), the Hawthorn Moth (Tinea cratægella), the Burdock Moth (Tinea lapella), and the Rustic Moth (Tinea rusticella).
The caterpillars of theŒcophoræresemble whitish worms. They attack the leaves, the blossoms, the bark, and certain parts of the fruit of trees. Some of these hollow out for themselves galleries ineating the fleshy part; others also make galleries, but only in the cuticle of the tree, or in the tenderest part of its bark. Some, again, shut themselves up in one or many leaves rolled like a trumpet, while others keep at the summits of plants, whose leaves they bind together in a parcel with threads. And, lastly, some devour the stones of fruits, such as that of the olive.
The moths of these caterpillars are very small, and generally of brilliant metallic colours, they are to be found in the woods, and still more in the orchards, from the beginning of June till the month of September.
TheŒcophoræare very slim and elegantly formed. Their anterior wings, which are very narrow, are often ornamented with silvery longitudinal lines, the posterior wings exactly resembling two feathers.
The caterpillars live and metamorphose themselves in portable cases, which they manufacture from the membranous portions of leaves, whose flesh alone they eat. These cases are generally of a brown colour, resembling a dead leaf. They are attached perpendicularly under the leaves of many trees, but often under those of fruit trees.
Certain species ofŒcophoræhave cases partly covered with loose pieces only slightly attached, formed of portions of leaves, and arranged in such a way that Réaumur compares them to the furbelows which ladies used formerly to attach to the bottom of their dresses.