Butterflies and Moths (British)Furneaux, William S.
Science
Butterflies and Moths (British)
Furneaux, William S.
Butterflies -- Great Britain; Moths -- Great Britain
As a rule the under sides of the leaves will yield the most, but we have
already noticed (page 18) that some moths leave their eggs exposed on
the upper surface. Again, some larvae feed on flowers and seeds and
fruit, and the eggs of such are deposited on these parts. Those insects
which feed on the leaves of shrubs and trees often lay their eggs on
trunks, branches and twigs. Sometimes these are laid singly, sometimes
in dense clusters; and it is not unusual to find them arranged in rings
or spirals with great regularity. When examining the trunks of trees for
ova it is necessary to look well into the crevices of the bark, for some
insects take particular care to lay them in deep sheltered chinks; but
others take no such precautions, and deposit them on exposed ridges or
plain surfaces where they are easily discovered.
One difficulty of the ova collector lies in the fact that many insects
lay on the upper branches of large trees. Of course a search for these
is out of the question; but in places where the trees have been cut down
a few years previously, and where a consequent undergrowth has
developed, there are considerable chances of success with these species.
Young saplings of trees often yield well, especially in places where
tall trees of the same species are absent. It may be mentioned, too,
that some moths (page 294) actually lay their eggs beneath the surface
of water, depositing them on the under surfaces of floating pond weeds;
and others (page 298) even enter the nests of wasps and bees for the
same purpose. It is clear, then, from these few remarks, that the work
of an ambitious collector of insects' eggs is by no means a monotonous
task; for his employment takes him into the meadows and woods, leads him
to the banks of ponds, and even compels him to tear down banks and
hedges for the nests of _Hymenoptera_ at the risk of a sting or two.
One of the most productive sources of eggs is undoubtedly the possession
of captured females. When you are out netting butterflies you often see
a female that is evidently engaged in her matronly duties. Instead of
seeking food from the various flowers in her path, she pays attention
only to the foliage, looking out a suitable leaf on which to deposit her
eggs. Should you meet with an insect thus engaged which you would like
to rear at home, or of which you would like to know the egg, secure it
in a perforated pill box with a leaf of the proper plant; and it will
often supply you with abundance of eggs for your purpose, in many cases
depositing them in the box before you arrive home. The eggs of numerous
species of moths are also to be easily obtained from captured females.
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