The life-history of a typical moth is well exemplified by the Tiger Moth (Fig. 227), which is easily reared in captivity. The larva—often called the “woolly bear,” from its thick covering of hair—may be found in early summer on the leaves of lettuce, strawberry, nettle, and other plants. It pupates about the end of June, working its hair, together with silk spun by the spinneret, into a cocoon, in which the resting stage is passed. About a month later the perfect moth emerges; its fore-wings are beautifully mottled with cream colour and chocolate brown; the hind-wings are red, with metallic violet spots. The feelers of the male are comb-like, and are probably very sensitive organs of smell, by means of which he seeks out his mate. The female’s feelers are thread-like. In the Vapourer Moth (Fig. 228), whose “looping” flight may often be observed even in the streets of towns during the day, the two [Pg 370] sexes are remarkably different from each other. The male (C) alone can fly; the female (D) is wingless, and is confined for the whole of her short adult life to the place where she emerged from the cocoon. Here she lays her eggs and then dies. Neither she nor her mate is capable of feeding. Fig. 228.—Stages of Vapourer Moth. A, Larva (male); B, male pupa; C, male moth; D, female moth. (From a photograph by Mr. A. Flatters.) (× ⅚.) It would be difficult to find a more striking example of the fact that the one duty of the adult moth is reproduction. The female vapourer is even debarred from the privilege of choosing favourable places for her eggs; but a compensation for this disadvantage lies in the agility of the larvae (A), which are able to migrate without difficulty to another plant whenever food becomes scarce. As Prof. Miall remarks:[33] “Whatever the larva can do for itself, the female can safely leave undone; but what the larva cannot do, by reason of sluggishness or restricted diet, the parent must provide for. Hence activity and intelligence in the one lead to degeneration in the other.... Wings are to insects what spores are to ferns, plumed seeds to dandelions, and hooked seeds to burrs—a ready means of dispersal.” Other insects.—Space does not permit of more than a reference to other insects, and the work of this chapter is to be regarded as the merest introduction to the study of this fascinating class of animals. The chief remaining orders are the Neuroptera, including May flies, dragon flies, and caddis flies; the Hemiptera, among which are included the various “bugs,” water boatmen, plant lice, etc.; the Diptera (two-winged flies), such as the house-fly, gnat, harlequin fly, daddy-long-legs, etc.; and the Hymenoptera, including bees, wasps, ants, gall flies (p. 146), and ichneumons. Many [Pg 371] of these insects have aquatic larvae which may be found in ponds; and their life-histories should be studied in aquaria and careful notes made of the transformations.[34]