GIANT CENTIPEDE.Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.GIANT CENTIPEDE.Most centipedes have considerably fewer than a hundred legs.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.GIANT CENTIPEDE.Most centipedes have considerably fewer than a hundred legs.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.
GIANT CENTIPEDE.
Most centipedes have considerably fewer than a hundred legs.
TheElectric Centipedesare much longer and more slender than the others in proportion to their length, with rather short antennæ, and short and very numerous legs. They are of a white or yellow colour, and 2 or 3 inches long. All are nocturnal in their habits, and feed on decaying animal or vegetable matter, and are fond of ripe fruit. They emit a pale phosphorescence, visible in the dark along the track over which they have crawled.
Millipedesare not venomous, and feed chiefly on soft vegetable matter. Except the first three behind the head, which are provided with only one pair each, every segment bears two pairs instead of one pair of legs. TheCommon Snake-millipedeis about an inch and a half long, and is brown, with yellow rings and ninety-nine pairs of short white legs. It is nearly as destructive as the Wire-worms, which it resembles in its habits, and may often be seen clinging to a partly eaten potato. Millipedes are able to roll themselves up into a spiral. Many foreign kinds grow to a much larger size, measuring nearly a foot in length. They are more frequently sent to Europe from foreign countries than centipedes, probably because they are sluggish, harmless creatures which do not bite.
The members of one family of millipedes, calledPill-millipedes, are so similar to wood-licein shape and appearance that they might easily be mistaken for them, and they exhibit the same habit of rolling themselves up into a ball. One species is not uncommon in England.
GIANT MILLIPEDE.Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.GIANT MILLIPEDE.Shows the absence of jaws, which distinguishes these creatures from the predatory centipedes.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.GIANT MILLIPEDE.Shows the absence of jaws, which distinguishes these creatures from the predatory centipedes.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.
GIANT MILLIPEDE.
Shows the absence of jaws, which distinguishes these creatures from the predatory centipedes.
A curious genus, generally placed in a distinct class by itself, includes a few species which may be calledSlimy Millipedes. The species are found in widely separated parts of the world, chiefly in the most southern regions, such as South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, though one or two are known from Ceylon and the West Indies. They resemble slimy caterpillars, with conspicuous antennæ, and from thirteen to forty pairs of legs. The body is not distinctly divided into segments, and it exudes a very viscous slime, which acts like bird-lime in capturing the small insects which form at least a part of the food of these creatures, but which will not adhere to their own bodies. These creatures are found among decaying vegetable matter.
Injurious Creatures.
We are sometimes inclined to complain of our English climate, but we have cause to congratulate ourselves that it is far less prolific of noxious creatures than many others. We have no venomous scorpions or centipedes, and are not obliged to shake such intruders out of our boots before we can venture to put them on. Since the country has been so well drained, we are very little troubled with gnats, which breed in standing water, and are equally troublesome in cold countries like Lapland, and warm countries like South America. Nevertheless, several very troublesome creatures, not native to this country, have taken up their abode with us permanently, and more care should perhaps be exercised in preventing the possible introduction of others. Among the most troublesome of our household insects are bugs, cockroaches, and house-ants, all of which have been introduced from abroad. Among field- and garden-pests, the American Blight (which destroys our apple- and pear-trees) and the Hessian Fly are probably invaders from abroad; but the latter does not seem to have committed great ravages in this country. Among pests which have not succeeded in establishing themselves here, but which we should be specially on our guard against, are the White Ants, which are found as far north as Bordeaux, and are terribly destructive to woodwork, wherever they are met with; the Gypsy-moth, very destructive on the Continent and in North America, but extinct as a British species, perhaps because there is something inimical to its constitution in our climate; and the Colorado Potato-beetle, which is only kept out of Europe by incessant vigilance. But apart from actually injurious insects, it is remarkable how many species which are common everywhere on the Continent are either absent from Britain, or are only met with in very restricted localities. Let us hope that we may long enjoy our comparative immunity from noxious insects in Britain.
INSECTS.
Insects are easily distinguished from the other jointed animals by many salient characters. They have one pair of antennæ, two large compound eyes, composed of a great number of facets, and sometimes one, two, or three simple eyes placed on the crown or front of the head. In its adult condition an insect is composed of three different parts, which can be most readily noticed in a wasp. There is the head, with the antennæ and mouth-parts; the thorax, to which one or two pairs of wings are attached above, and three pairs of legs below; and the abdomen. Insects breathe through openings, called "stigmata," in the sides of the thorax and abdomen. They never possess more than six legs in the perfect state, the abdominal legs present in caterpillars, etc., disappearing in the adult condition. They generally pass through what is called a "metamorphosis,"—four different stages of life, called respectively egg; larva or caterpillar; pupa, nymph, or chrysalis; and imago, or perfect insect.
Insects are divided into several large sections, of which the following seven are the most important, and many entomologists prefer to include all insects under them:—
Sheath-winged Insects, or Beetles; Straight-winged Insects, or Earwigs, Cockroaches, Soothsayers, Stick-insects, Crickets, Grasshoppers, and Locusts; Nerve-winged or Lace-winged Insects, or Dragon-flies and their relatives; Stinging Four-winged Insects, or Ants, Bees and Wasps, and their allies; Scale-winged Insects, or Butterflies and Moths; Half-winged Insects, or Bugs and Frog-hoppers; Two-winged Insects, or Flies.
We proceed to notice these orders separately.
SHEATH-WINGED INSECTS, OR BEETLES.
BY THE REV. THEODORE WOOD, F.E.S.
Beetles are distinguished from most other insects by the fact that the front wings are not employed in flight, but are modified into horny sheaths, which cover and protect the lower pair while not in use. This arrangement, however, is also found in the Earwigs as well as in the so-called "Black-beetle" and its allies, and it is to be noted that the wing-cases of beetles lie evenly side by side together when the wings are folded, while the folding of the wings themselves is transverse as well as longitudinal. The number of species is very great, upwards of 100,000 having already been described, of which about 3,400 have been taken in the British Islands.
The order is again divided into several smaller groups, first among which stand the predaceous beetles of the land. Of these the common EnglishTiger-beetleis a familiar example. It is found on sandy and peaty heaths, and may be known at once by its bright green wing-cases, marked with white spots, and the metallic blue of the abdomen. The legs are coppery. It flies with great swiftness in the hot sunshine, taking to wing as readily as a blue-bottle fly, and feeds entirely upon other insects.
Another representative of the group is rich golden green in colour, with coppery reflections. It is only an occasional visitor to Britain, but abounds in France and Germany, where it feeds upon the caterpillars of the famous Processionary Moth, and is largely instrumental in checking their ravages in the great oak forests.
TIGER-BEETLE.Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.TIGER-BEETLE.The colouring of this insect is bright green with white markings and coppery legs.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.TIGER-BEETLE.The colouring of this insect is bright green with white markings and coppery legs.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.
TIGER-BEETLE.
The colouring of this insect is bright green with white markings and coppery legs.
Familiar to almost all is thePurple Ground-beetle, so plentiful in gardens, and easily recognisable by the violet margin to the blackwing-cases. It pours out an evil-smelling liquid from the end of the body when handled.
The curious red-and-blueBombardier, which, when interfered with, discharges a little puff of bluish-white smoke from the tip of the abdomen, accompanied by a distinct report, is also a member of this group. It is found under stones on river-banks, and also on the coast.
Next come the predaceous beetles of the water, of which we have a well-known British representative in theGreat Brown Water-beetle. This insect, which is plentiful in weedy ponds, swims by means of its hind limbs, which are modified into broad, flat oars, with a mechanical arrangement for "feathering" as they are drawn back after making each stroke. It flies by night, often travelling for a long distance from one pond to another, and regains the water by suddenly folding its wings and allowing itself to fall from a height. In the female insect the wing-cases are grooved for about two-thirds of their length.
GROUND-BEETLE.Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.GROUND-BEETLE.The beetles of this group are generally of a black or bronzy colour, some species being beautifully metallic.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.GROUND-BEETLE.The beetles of this group are generally of a black or bronzy colour, some species being beautifully metallic.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.
GROUND-BEETLE.
The beetles of this group are generally of a black or bronzy colour, some species being beautifully metallic.
GREAT BROWN WATER-BEETLE (MALE).Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.GREAT BROWN WATER-BEETLE (MALE).A large olive-brown species, about an inch in length, and nearly half as broad. The wing-cases of the female are grooved.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.GREAT BROWN WATER-BEETLE (MALE).A large olive-brown species, about an inch in length, and nearly half as broad. The wing-cases of the female are grooved.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.
GREAT BROWN WATER-BEETLE (MALE).
A large olive-brown species, about an inch in length, and nearly half as broad. The wing-cases of the female are grooved.
This beetle must not be confounded with the still largerBlack Water-Beetle, which belongs to another group. This fine insect, which is not predaceous in the perfect state, is locally plentiful in ditches, and is in great request as an inmate of the freshwater aquarium. The hind limbs are not modified for swimming purposes.
Next in order come theCocktails, so called from their curious habit of turning up the end of the body when alarmed. To this group belong most of the tiny "flies" which cause such severe pain when they find their way into the eyes. Some species, however, attain to a considerable size, the well-knownDevil's Coach-Horsebeing fully an inch in length. The great majority are scavengers, being found in carrion, manure, and decaying vegetable matter. A few, however, are lodgers in the nests of ants, by whom they appear to be regarded as pets and treated with the utmost kindness.
BLACK WATER-BEETLE.Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.BLACK WATER-BEETLE.A shining black species, longer, narrower, and more convex than the Great Brown Water-beetle.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.BLACK WATER-BEETLE.A shining black species, longer, narrower, and more convex than the Great Brown Water-beetle.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.
BLACK WATER-BEETLE.
A shining black species, longer, narrower, and more convex than the Great Brown Water-beetle.
The next group includes the curious insects popularly known asBurying-Beetles, which inter the bodies of small animals in the ground, scooping out the earth from underneath them by means of their broad and powerful heads, and shovelling it back when the carcases have sunk to a sufficient depth. The eggs are laid in the carrion thus buried. Most of these beetles are distinguished by broad blotches or bars of orange on the wing-cases, but one common British species is entirely black.
Allied to these, and very similar in habits, are theFlat Burying-Beetles, of which there are about a dozen British species. In the best known of these the thorax is dull red in colour, and the black wing-cases are curiously wrinkled. Another species is reddish yellow in colour, with two round black spots on each wing-case. It is found on oak-trees, and feeds upon caterpillars.
TheLeaf-horned Beetlesare distinguished by the fact that the terminal joints of the antennæ lie one upon another like the leaves of a book. In many cases they can be expanded at will into a broad fan-like club. The well-knownStag-beetleof Great Britain is a representative of this group. It is a somewhat local species, being plentiful in some parts of the country, and entirely unknown in others. The grub lives for several years in the trunks of elm-trees, feeding upon the solid wood. When fully grown, it buries itself in the earth, and constructs a large cocoon, in which it passes the chrysalis stage of its existence. The perfect beetle emerges in November, but remains within the cocoon until the following June. In the female the jaws are very much smaller than in the male, but are nevertheless more formidable as weapons. The insect may often be seen flying on warm summer evenings.
TWO BURYING-BEETLES.Photos by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.TWO BURYING-BEETLES.These insects are about an inch in length; many are black, but others have orange-red bands on the wing-cases.
Photos by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.TWO BURYING-BEETLES.These insects are about an inch in length; many are black, but others have orange-red bands on the wing-cases.
Photos by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.
TWO BURYING-BEETLES.
These insects are about an inch in length; many are black, but others have orange-red bands on the wing-cases.
A still larger insect belonging to the same group is theHercules Beetle, found in the West Indies and tropical America, a male of average size being nearly 5 inches in length. In this beetle the thorax is prolonged into a horn, which is curved downwards, while the head is produced into a similar horn curved upwards, so that the two look like a pair of enormous jaws. It has been stated that these horns, both of which are furnished with tooth-like projections, are employed in sawing off the smaller branches of trees, the beetle grasping a bough firmly, and flying round and round in a circle, till the wood is completely cut through. This assertion, however, is totally unworthy of credit. An example of the beetle—evidently imported—was recently found crawling on a hedge near Biggleswade.
One of the largest of all known beetles isDrury's Goliath Beetle, a native of the Gaboon, whose body is almost as big as the closed fist of a man. It appears to feed, while a grub, on the wood of decaying trees, and undergoes its transformation to the chrysalis state in an earthen cocoon, the peculiarity of which is that a thick belt, or ridge, runs round the middle. How this belt is formed is a mystery, as it lies upon the outside, while the grub necessarily constructs the cocoon from the inside. Several living examples of this beetle were exhibited in the summer of 1898 in the Insect-house of the Zoological Gardens in the Regent's Park, where they remained for five or six weeks, feeding on the flesh of melons. A photograph of this beetle will be found in the Coloured Plate.
The commonCockchaferbelongs to another division of the same group. This insect is extremely injurious, as the grub lives for three years or more underground, feeding on the roots of various cultivated plants. The perfect beetle appears in May and June, and is only too plentiful almost everywhere. A month or so later its place is taken by theSummer Chafer, orJune Bug, which may often be seen flying in hundreds round the tops oflow trees soon after sunset, while the smallerCoch-y-bonddhu—the "Cockerbundy" of the angler—often appears about the same time in hundreds of thousands. The beautifulRose-beetle, too, with its bright golden-green wing-cases marked with wavy whitish lines, may often be seen sunning itself in roses or on the blossoms of pinks.
MALE STAG-BEETLE.Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.MALE STAG-BEETLE.The males are often 2 inches long; the females have comparatively small jaws.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.MALE STAG-BEETLE.The males are often 2 inches long; the females have comparatively small jaws.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.
MALE STAG-BEETLE.
The males are often 2 inches long; the females have comparatively small jaws.
SKIPJACK BEETLE.Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.SKIPJACK BEETLE.The larvæ of this family are known as Wire-worms.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.SKIPJACK BEETLE.The larvæ of this family are known as Wire-worms.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.
SKIPJACK BEETLE.
The larvæ of this family are known as Wire-worms.
HERCULES BEETLE FLYING.Photo by L. H. Joutel][New York.HERCULES BEETLE FLYING.The most remarkable feature about this insect is its huge horn-like projection from the thorax, which is nearly as long as the rest of its body.
Photo by L. H. Joutel][New York.HERCULES BEETLE FLYING.The most remarkable feature about this insect is its huge horn-like projection from the thorax, which is nearly as long as the rest of its body.
Photo by L. H. Joutel][New York.
HERCULES BEETLE FLYING.
The most remarkable feature about this insect is its huge horn-like projection from the thorax, which is nearly as long as the rest of its body.
The famousEgyptian Scarabæusis also a member of this group. It is remarkable not only for the sacred character attributed to it by the ancient Egyptians, but also for its curious habit of rolling along balls of dung until it can find a soft spot in which to bury them. When the egg hatches, the grub feeds upon the dung, the quantity provided being exactly sufficient for its requirements. The commonDor Beetleof Great Britain is allied to this insect; it tunnels down to a depth of 14 or 15 inches beneath a patch of excrement, and lays its egg at the bottom of the burrow.
TheSkipjack Beetles, parents of the well-known Wire- worms, which cause so much mischief by feeding upon the roots of cultivated crops, represent another group. These beetles owe their popular title to their singular method of regaining their feet when they happen to roll over upon their backs. Their bodies being very smooth and polished, and their legs very short, they cannot recover their footing in the ordinary manner. On the lower part of the body, however, is a highly elastic spine, known asthe "mucro," which lies in a sheath. When the beetle falls over, it arches its body into the form of a bow, resting only upon the head and the extreme tip of the abdomen, removes the spine from its sheath, and then drives it sharply back again. The result is that the central part of the body strikes the ground with such force that the insect springs into the air to a height of 2 or 3 inches. Then, turning half over as it falls, it alights on its feet.
COCKCHAFER ON DAISY.Photo by B. H. Bentley][Sheffield.COCKCHAFER ON DAISY.A very destructive insect which feeds on the leaves of trees. The larva devours the roots of plants, and is often so plentiful as to cause very serious mischief.
Photo by B. H. Bentley][Sheffield.COCKCHAFER ON DAISY.A very destructive insect which feeds on the leaves of trees. The larva devours the roots of plants, and is often so plentiful as to cause very serious mischief.
Photo by B. H. Bentley][Sheffield.
COCKCHAFER ON DAISY.
A very destructive insect which feeds on the leaves of trees. The larva devours the roots of plants, and is often so plentiful as to cause very serious mischief.
TheFire-flyof the tropics belongs to the same group. The luminosity of this insect proceeds from two different parts of the body, a brilliant yellowish-green light shining out through two transparent window-like spots on the thorax, while an orange glow is visible on the lower surface of the abdomen. The exact cause of the light is unknown, as is also the manner of its control by the insect.
The same may be said of the common EnglishGlowworm, in which the light proceeds from the lower surface of the hind part of the body. The male of this insect is winged; the female is grub-like in appearance and wingless. The grub itself, which may be found in autumn, is also luminous, and feeds upon snails.
Another group includes a very large number of beetles of very varying character and appearance. Among these are theOil-beetles, so called from their habit of exuding small drops of an oily liquid from the joints of their limbs when handled. The eggs are laid in batches of several thousand in holes in the ground, and the little long-legged grubs, on emerging, clamber up the stems of flowers, and hide themselves among the petals to await the coming of a bee. When one of the latter appears, two or three of the grubs cling to its hairy body, and are carried back to the nest, in which they live as parasites. One of these beetles may be seen commonly upon grassy banks in early spring.
Allied to these insects is theBlister-beetle, orSpanish Fly, so well known from its use in medicine. It is a very handsome species, of a bright golden-green colour, occasionally found in Great Britain on the foliage of ash-trees. In many parts of Southern Europe it is extremely abundant.
The beetles belonging to the large and important group ofWeevilsare characterised, as a rule, by the fact that the head is prolonged into a more or less long and slender snout, or "rostrum," at the end of which the jaws are situated. The number of species already known is above 20,000.
HARLEQUIN BEETLE.Photo by L. H. Joutel][New York.HARLEQUIN BEETLE.Notice the enormous length of the front legs.
Photo by L. H. Joutel][New York.HARLEQUIN BEETLE.Notice the enormous length of the front legs.
Photo by L. H. Joutel][New York.
HARLEQUIN BEETLE.
Notice the enormous length of the front legs.
One of the largest and most famous of these insects is theDiamond-beetleof Brazil, the scales from whose wing-cases are so frequently mounted as microscopic objects. When viewed through a good instrument under a powerful light, the beauty of these scales is simply indescribable. All that one can say of them is that they seem to be composed of diamonds, rubies, topazes, and emeralds massed together in rich profusion, while diamonds are transformed into rubies, rubies into topazes, and topazes into emeralds at every change of light.
TheOsier-weevil, a black-and-white species about three-eighths of an inch long, is found on osiers in Great Britain, the grub boring galleries in the stems, and often causing considerable damage. The well-knownCorn-weevilis still more destructive in granaries, the walls of which are often completely blackened by its crawling multitudes. The grub lives inside the grain, eating out the whole of the interior, and a single pair of the weevils are said to be capable of producing a family of more than 6,000 individuals in the course of a single season. TheRice-weevilis equally destructive to rice, and may be recognised by the two red spots on each wing-case.
The famous "Gru-gru" of the West Indies, which is regarded as so great a dainty both by the negroes and by many of the white colonists, is the grub of thePalm-weevil. It lives in the stems of palm-trees, and also in those of sugar-canes, causing a great deal of mischief by its burrowings. When fully fed, it constructs a cocoon by tearing off strips of bark and weaving them neatly together. TheSugar-weevilis still more troublesome, feeding upon the juice of the sugar-cane, and affecting the entire plant in such a manner that sugar can no longer be manufactured from it.
"Bad" nuts are also due to one of these insects, the commonNut-weevil. which introduces its egg into the kernel during the earlier stages of its development. When the grub hatches, it proceeds to devour the kernel, leaving a quantity of bad-flavoured "frass" behind it, while the shell is left untouched until the perfect insect emerges. An allied species attacks acorns in a similar manner.
JUMPING-BEETLE. ALLIED TO THE TURNIP-FLEA.Photo by J. Edwards][Colesborne.JUMPING-BEETLE. ALLIED TO THE TURNIP-FLEA.It is about one-tenth of an inch in length.
Photo by J. Edwards][Colesborne.JUMPING-BEETLE. ALLIED TO THE TURNIP-FLEA.It is about one-tenth of an inch in length.
Photo by J. Edwards][Colesborne.
JUMPING-BEETLE. ALLIED TO THE TURNIP-FLEA.
It is about one-tenth of an inch in length.
Among the finest and largest of all beetles are many of those belonging to the great Long-horn group, of which the commonBritish Musk-beetleis a familiar example. This insect owes both its popularand scientific titles to its powerful odour, which perhaps resembles that of sweetbriar rather than musk, and can often be detected at a distance of twenty or thirty yards. The beetle, which is rich metallic green in colour, with long, slender antennæ, may be found in July sunning itself on the trunks or foliage of willow-trees. It varies considerably in size.
Still more plentiful is theWasp-beetle, with its black wing-cases banded with bright yellow. While flying, it may easily be mistaken for the insect whose name it bears. The grub lives in old posts, rails, hop-poles, etc., feeding upon the solid wood.
TheTimbermanis remarkable for the extreme length of the antennæ, which, in the male insect, are three or four times as long as the body, and trail out far behind it during flight. It is found, not uncommonly, in fir woods in Scotland.
The beautifulHarlequin Beetleof tropical America is one of the largest members of the group, and is remarkable for the great length of the front legs as well as for the singular colouring of the wing-cases. It lives almost entirely in the trees, swinging itself from branch to branch somewhat after the manner of a spider-monkey. When it ventures into the air, it is greatly incommoded by the size of its limbs and the length of its antennæ, and seems to have but little power of directing its course.
REED-BEETLE.Photo by J. Edwards, Colesborne.REED-BEETLE.Among the group to which this insect belongs are many of the most brilliantly coloured British beetles.
Photo by J. Edwards, Colesborne.REED-BEETLE.Among the group to which this insect belongs are many of the most brilliantly coloured British beetles.
Photo by J. Edwards, Colesborne.
REED-BEETLE.
Among the group to which this insect belongs are many of the most brilliantly coloured British beetles.
Another great group of beetles is that of thePlant-eaters, many of which are exceedingly beautiful. TheReed-beetlesof Britain, for example, are resplendent in crimson and green and purple and blue, while the metallic radiance of others has gained for them the title ofGolden Apples.
The notoriousColorado Beetleis a member of this group. It may be recognised at once by the five black streaks running down each of the yellow wing-cases. On the havoc which it causes among potato-plants in North America it is unnecessary to dilate. On a smaller scale, theTurnip-fleais very mischievous in Britain, perforating the leaves of turnip-plants, or—worse still—eating off the seed-leaves as soon as they appear above the surface of the ground. Of only too many of these exquisite beetles, in fact, it must be said that their beauty is only equalled by their destructiveness.
TheLadybirdsinclude a very large number of species. Some of these, such as the commonTwo-spot Ladybird, are exceedingly variable, a long series being easily obtained in which no two specimens resemble one another. Both as grubs and as perfect insects they feed upon the "Green Fly" of the farmer, combining with the grubs of the Lace-wing and Hoverer Flies to keep its numbers within due limits.
Almost equally common is theSeven-spot Ladybird, a considerably larger insect, with seven round black spots on its scarlet wing-cases, which may be seen on almost any grassy bank in spring. Both this and the preceding species sometimes visit the Kentish coast in vast swarms, the beach being reddened by their bodies for miles. The last immigration of this description took place in 1886, in the summer of which year the hops in East Kent were almost destroyed by blight, and the ladybirds made their way at once to the hop-fields and cleared them of the pest in a wonderfully short space of time. A much smaller species, known as theTwenty-two Spot, is yellow in colour and has eleven black spots on each wing-case. It is generally found crawling about on nettle-leaves in the early part of the summer.
Allied to the Ladybirds are the very curiousTortoise-beetles. In these insects the wing-cases project to a considerable distance beyond the sides of the body, and the legs are so short that only the feet can be seen from above, so that the appearance is very much likethat of a tortoise with the limbs partly withdrawn into the shell. Many different species are known, in some of which the wing-cases are streaked with brilliant metallic silver, which, however, fades away very shortly after death. The commonest of the British tortoise-beetles is found on thistles.
MUSK-BEETLE.Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.MUSK-BEETLE.The odour of this beetle may often be detected at a distance of twenty or thirty yards.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.MUSK-BEETLE.The odour of this beetle may often be detected at a distance of twenty or thirty yards.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.
MUSK-BEETLE.
The odour of this beetle may often be detected at a distance of twenty or thirty yards.
Another very large group of beetles is represented by theCellar-beetle, which is generally very common in old houses. This insect must not be confused with the so-called "Black-beetle," from which it may easily be distinguished by its deep black colour, its very much shorter feelers, and the curious point into which the end of its body is produced. It hides away in dark corners by day, and crawls slowly about by night. Related to it is theMeal-worm, so much in request for the food of cage-birds, which is usually very plentiful in granaries.
Very different, in appearance, yet belonging to the same group, is the handsomeCardinal Beetle, a bright scarlet insect which is not uncommon in summer. It may sometimes be found lurking behind pieces of loose bark, and is also fond of resting upon the flowers of umbelliferous plants in the hot sunshine. A second species, which is not nearly so plentiful, may be distinguished by the fact that the head is entirely black.
Still more curious is theRhipiphorus Beetle, which is parasitic within the nests of wasps. Where the egg is laid, or how the grub first finds its way into the nest, no one has yet succeeded in discovering; but having made its entry, the insect proceeds to burrow into the body of a wasp-grub, and lives within it for several days, feeding upon its flesh meanwhile. After increasing considerably in size, it creeps out of the carcase of its victim and changes its skin, after which it resumes its interrupted meal, and continues to feed until the last vestige of the wasp-grub has been devoured. It then changes to a chrysalis in the cell, and the perfect insect appears a few days later. Oddly enough, the wasps appear to take no notice of its presence, and never attempt to molest it. The two sexes of this beetle are quite unlike one another, the male having the wing-cases yellow and the feelers heavily plumed, while the female is black, with the feelers only slightly toothed.
Most singular of all the insects belonging to this order, however, is the strange littleStalk-eyed Beetle, which spends the greater part of its life half buried in the body of a bee. In this insect the feelers are branched, somewhat like the antennules, or lesser feelers, of a lobster, and the eyes, which are comparatively few in number, are set at the ends of short foot-stalks. The male has very narrow wing-cases, but extremely large wings, which have a milky appearance during flight that can hardly be mistaken. The female has no wings at all, and in general aspect is nothing more than a grub. In early spring a great number of solitary bees are infested by this extraordinary parasite, which burrows into their bodies under cover of the projecting edges of the segments, and there remains feeding upon their internal juices for several weeks, with only just the tip of its tail protruding. When fully fed, it emerges from the body of its involuntary host, leaving a large round hole behind it, which frequently closes up and heals. In any case, strange to say, the ravages of the parasite appear to have but little effect upon the health of the bee.
STRAIGHT-WINGED INSECTS, OR EARWIGS, COCKROACHES, SOOTHSAYERS, STICK-INSECTS, CRICKETS, GRASSHOPPERS, AND LOCUSTS.
BY W. F. KIRBY, F.L.S.
The insects of this order are less numerous in species than those of any other but the next, and are easily recognised. The fore wings are usually of a leathery consistency, and the hind wings are folded beneath them like a fan in the more typical families, though in the Earwigs and Cockroaches a somewhat different arrangement prevails. In the Earwigs, indeed, the wings are doubled back at the ends, and in the Cockroaches the wing-cases, or "tegmina," as they are technically called, overlap. As a rule these insects feed entirely on vegetable substances. The "Soothsayers" form an exception, being carnivorous, though they are not parasitic, like the Ichneumon-flies, but feed on fresh food; and several species of Earwigs, Cockroaches, and Crickets, especially those which are semi-domesticated, are omnivorous, and will eat animal as well as vegetable food. These insects have an imperfect metamorphosis—that is, there is no inactive pupa-state; but, the young, on emerging from the egg, already possess a recognisable resemblance to their full-grown parents, and their metamorphosis consists of a series of moults, before the last of which rudimentary wings appear in those species which ultimately acquire these appendages. A considerable number of species never have wings, a circumstance which frequently renders it difficult to determine whether a specimen is fully developed. The antennæ are usually long, and the joints distinctly separated, but are very rarely feathered. At the other end of the body we often find two long jointed organs, called "cerci." The jaws are always furnished with strong mandibles. Many Grasshoppers and Locusts have a curious arrangement on the shank of the front leg, consisting either of a round or an oval cavity on each side, closed by a membrane, or of two long parallel slits in front. These are considered to be organs of hearing. The largest known insects belong to this order; the proportion of large or moderate-sized species is considerable; and the smallest are probably considerably larger than the smallest members of any other group. They are not numerous in temperate climates; there are only about fifty British species, and most of the larger of these are either naturalised species, or merely casual visitors from abroad.
EARWIG.Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.EARWIG.The forceps-like appendage at the end of this insect's body is said to be used for folding and unfolding the wings.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.EARWIG.The forceps-like appendage at the end of this insect's body is said to be used for folding and unfolding the wings.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.
EARWIG.
The forceps-like appendage at the end of this insect's body is said to be used for folding and unfolding the wings.
AMERICAN COCKROACH.Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.AMERICAN COCKROACH.Common in many warehouses in England, and now found in most parts of the world.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.AMERICAN COCKROACH.Common in many warehouses in England, and now found in most parts of the world.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.][Regent's Park.
AMERICAN COCKROACH.
Common in many warehouses in England, and now found in most parts of the world.
TheEarwigsform the first family. Some are wingless, but most have very short wing-cases, under which very large wings, forming the most beautiful feature of these otherwise unattractive insects, are doubled and folded into a very small compass. Some of the smaller species fly readily; but others, such as theCommon Earwig, though furnished with ample wings, are rarely seen to use them. The most conspicuous organ of the earwigs is the curious forceps at the extremity of the body, the use of which does not seem to be well made out, though it has been suggested that it is used for folding and unfolding the wings. The forceps differs very much in size and shape in different species; it is always larger in the male than in the female, and often differently shaped. In the common earwig the male forceps is flattened and contiguous at the base, and rounded andincurved at the extremity. There are two varieties, in one of which the forceps is twice as long as in the other; but intermediate gradations do not seem to be met with. In the female the forceps is narrow, nearly straight, and approximating. The earwig is a nocturnal insect, and hides itself during the day in large-headed flowers, like dahlias, to which it is very destructive, or in any convenient dark and narrow crevice, especially among decaying vegetable matter. It derives its name from its occasionally entering the human ear, but it may be easily driven out by dropping in a little olive oil. In most books it is denied that earwigs enter the ear at all, but it is, nevertheless, an undoubted fact; and the fanciful derivation that has been suggested ofearwingin the place ofearwigcannot be entertained respecting an insect which seldom shows its wings at all. It should be noted that the female earwig is said to tend her young very much as a hen tends her chickens—an uncommon habit in insects.
STICK-INSECT.Photo by Highley.STICK-INSECT.The largest insect known is a species of stick-insect; it is a native of Borneo, and measures 13 inches.
Photo by Highley.STICK-INSECT.The largest insect known is a species of stick-insect; it is a native of Borneo, and measures 13 inches.
Photo by Highley.
STICK-INSECT.
The largest insect known is a species of stick-insect; it is a native of Borneo, and measures 13 inches.
WALKING LEAF-INSECTS.Photo by Scholastic Photo Co.][Parson's Green.WALKING LEAF-INSECTS.Natives of the East Indies, and remarkable for their resemblance to green leaves.
Photo by Scholastic Photo Co.][Parson's Green.WALKING LEAF-INSECTS.Natives of the East Indies, and remarkable for their resemblance to green leaves.
Photo by Scholastic Photo Co.][Parson's Green.
WALKING LEAF-INSECTS.
Natives of the East Indies, and remarkable for their resemblance to green leaves.
TheCommon Cockroachis too well known to need description. The individuals with half-developed wings are the perfect females; but there are other species in which the wings are fully developed in both sexes, others in which the male is winged and the female wingless, and others again in which both sexes are wingless. In warm countries and on ship-board cockroaches are far more troublesome than in cold climes; and the large brown ones, with a mark on the back of the thorax resembling a crown, and very broad wing-cases and wings, are calledDrummersin the West Indies, from the loud noise they keep up during the night.
Lady Burton has given an amusing account of her introduction to cockroaches abroad: "After two days we were given a very pleasant suite of rooms—bedroom, dining- and drawing-room—with wide windows overlooking the Tagus and a great part of Lisbon. These quarters were, however, not without drawbacks, for here occurred an incident which gave me a foretaste of the sort of thing I was to expect in Brazil. Our bedroom was a large whitewashed place; there were three holes in the wall, one atthe bedside bristling with horns, and these were cockroaches some three inches long. The drawing-room was gorgeous with yellow satin, and the magnificent yellow curtains were sprinkled with these crawling things. The consequence was that I used to stand on a chair and scream. This annoyed Richard very much. 'A nice sort of traveller and companionyouare going to make,' he said; 'I suppose you think you look very pretty and interesting standing on that chair and howling at those innocent creatures.' This hurt me so much that, without descending from the chair, I stopped screaming, and made a meditation like St. Simon Stylites on his pillar; and it was, 'That if I was going to live in a country always in contact with these and worse things, though I had a perfect horror of anything black and crawling, it would never do to go on like that.' So I got down, fetched a basin of water and a slipper, and in two hours by the watch I had knocked ninety-seven of them into it. It cured me. From that day I had no more fear of vermin and reptiles, which is just as well in a country where Nature is over-luxuriant. A little while after we changed our rooms we were succeeded by Lord and Lady Lytton, and, to my infinite delight, I heard the same screams coming from the same room a little while after. 'There,' I said in triumph, 'you see I am not theonlywoman who does not like cockroaches.'"
HOUSE-CRICKET.Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.HOUSE-CRICKET.Very similar in its habits to the cockroach.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.HOUSE-CRICKET.Very similar in its habits to the cockroach.
Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park.
HOUSE-CRICKET.
Very similar in its habits to the cockroach.
The dimensions of the insects are not so much exaggerated; for I believe this story refers to the large reddish American cockroach, which is common in many English cities, although only in warehouses. It does not usually much exceed an inch in length; but the antennæ are very long, and the wing-cases expand nearly 3 inches. (See photograph on page689.)