File:Insect architecture - to which are added, miscellanies, on the ravages, the preservation for purposes of study, and the classification, of insects (1845) (14763685632).jpg

Identifier: insectarchitect00renn (find matches)
Title: Insect architecture : to which are added, miscellanies, on the ravages, the preservation for purposes of study, and the classification, of insects
Year: 1845 (1840s)
Authors: Rennie, James, 1787-1867 Metcalf Collection (North Carolina State University). NCRS
Subjects: Entomology Insects
Publisher: London : C. Knight
Contributing Library: NCSU Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: NCSU Libraries

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s formaking one or two additional walls on the inside of theone first built. As the process takes place under ground,it is not easy to discover the particulars, for the cater-pillars will not work in glazed bexes. The difficulty wascompletely overcome by M. Reaumur, in the instance ofthe caterpillar of the water-betony moth (Ciiculliascrophdo.ricB^ Schra>k), which he permitted to constructthe greater part of its underground building, and thendug it up and broke a portion off from the end, leavingabout a third part of the whole to be rebuilt. Those whoare unacquainted with the instinct of insects might havesuppcsed that, being disturbed by the demolition of itswalls, it Mould have left off work; but the stimulus ofproviding for the great change is so powerful, that scarcelyany disturbance will interrupt a caterpillar in this speciesof labour, The little builder accordingly was not long in recom-mencing its task for the purpose of repairing the disorder, EARXa-MASOA CATERPILLABS. 193
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Earth mason Caterpillars Nests, with the perfect Moth, &C4 194 INSECT ARCHITECTURE. which it accomplished in about four hours. At first it pro-truded its body almost entirely beyond the breach whichhad been made, to reconnoitre the exterior for building ma-terials. Earth was put within its reach, of the same kindas it had previously used, and it was not long in selectinga grain adapted to its purpose, which it fitted into thewall and secured with silk. It first enlarged the outsideof the wall by the larger and coarser grains, and thenselected finer for the interior. But before it closed theajjerture, it collected a quantity of earth on the inside,wove a pretty thick network tapestry of silk over the partvvhich remained open, and into the meshes of this, bypushing and pressing, it thrust grains of earth, securingthem with silk till the whole was rendered opaque ; andthe further operations of the insect could no longer bewatched, except that it was observed to keep in motion,finishi

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