The Insect World: Being a Popular Account of the Orders of Insects; Together with a Description of the Habits and Economy of Some of the Most Interesting SpeciesFiguier, Louis
Science
The Insect World: Being a Popular Account of the Orders of Insects; Together with a Description of the Habits and Economy of Some of the Most Interesting Species
Figuier, Louis
Insects
The same entomologist relates a very interesting observation made on
this species of Cicada by his friend, M. Boyer, a chemist at Aix, and
which he himself verified. The Cicadas, in general, are very timid,
and fly away at the least noise. However, when a Cicada is singing,
one can approach it, whistling the while in a quavering manner, and
imitating as nearly as possible, its cry, but in such a manner as to
predominate over it. The insect then descends a small space down the
tree, as if to approach the whistler; then it stops. But if one
presents a stick to it, continuing to whistle, the Cicada settles on
it and begins again to descend backwards. From time to time it stops,
as if to listen. At last, attracted, and, as it were, fascinated by
the harmony of the whistle, it comes to the observer himself.
M. Boyer managed thus to make a Cicada, which continued to sing as
long as he whistled in harmony with it, settle on his nose. Charmed by
this concert, the insect seemed to have lost its natural timidity.
The _Cicada orni_ is of a greenish yellow, spotted with black. The
abdomen is encircled by the same colours. The elytra and the wings are
hyaline, or glassy, and their veins alternately yellow and brown. The
legs are yellow throughout. The song of this species is hoarse, and
cannot be heard at any great distance.
M. Solier, in the work we quoted just now, says that the song of this
Cicada is of a deeper intonation, but that it is quick and is sooner
over. It does not terminate in the manner which characterises that of
the other species.
Next the genus _Cicada_ comes _Fulgora_, whose type is the _Fulgora
lanternaria_, or Lantern Fly (Fig. 83).
Belonging to South America, these insects are above all remarkable and
easy to recognise, by their very large elongated head, which nearly
equals three-quarters of the rest of the body. This prolongation is
horizontal, vesiculous, enlarged to about the same breadth as the
head, and presents above a very great gibbosity. The antennæ are
short, with a globular second articulation, and a small terminal hair.
The species represented in Fig. 83 is yellow varied with black. The
elytra are of a greenish yellow, sprinkled with black; the wings, of
the same colour, have at the extremity a large spot resembling an eye,
which is surrounded by a brown circle very broad in front. It inhabits
Guyana. This remarkable insect enjoys a great renown with the vulgar,
by a peculiarity which might be called its speciality--the property of
shining by night or in the dark. Hence its name of _Fulgora
lanternaria_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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