The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-03-14

the case of certain kinds OF caterpil.
lars and beetles there is little doubt
that they are protective-renderin
their possessors terrifying in the eyes
OF possible enemies. This theory is
strengthened by the fact
that such insects usually have some
trick or device at their disposal, by
means of which the eye-spots become
more obvious and striking when dan
ger threatens. Bates, for example,
mentions case in which a South
American caterpillar startled every
one to whom 1t was shown by its
snake-llke appearance-an aspect de-
pendent almost entirely upon its pos
session of eye-like markings, coupled
with the peculiar pose OF its body
when at rest. The same is the case
with certain Old World hawk moth
larvae belonging to the family Chaer-
ocampedae. Several species which
possess eye-spots upon the anterior
segments of the body have habit of
Withdrawing the head and first three
body segments into the fourth and
fifth segments when alarmed. The
front portion of the body Is thus alb.
normally swollen, looking like the
head of an animal, and upon it enor.
nous, terrible looking eyes are prom.
inent. The effect is greatly height.
ened by the suddenness of the trans
formation - an innocent and incon.
spicuous animal being suddenly
turned into what appears to be an
awful monster. These caterpillars
are, of course, perfectly harmless, but
as they are sufficiently snake-like to
startle human beings, 1t is not un.
reasonable to suppose that birds and
other insectivorous creatures are of.
ten equally alarmed, and pass on
their way without molesting what
they judge to be some dangerous rep.
tile.
The fact that the eye-spots of these
caterpillars do not, as a rule, attract
especial notice while the insects are
quiOtly feeding will bear emphasiz-
ing. But as soon as the terrifying
attitude" is assumed in response to
danger signal, the eye-spots-owing
to the swelling of the body segments
become enormous and prominent.
Very striking eye-spots are seen
upon the thoraces of beetles belong
Ing to the Central American genus
Alaus. These ocelli are delineated
actually upon the hard integument
and cannot therefore be really more
prominent at one time than another.
Yet their power to terrify is much
heightened when the beetle assumes
the attitude with which 1t is accus.
toned to respond to signs of danger.
1t belongs to the great "click beetle"
family, and has the power of hurting
itself into the air when frightened,
and falling to the ground with legs
and antennae tucked tightly beneath
1t. In this position it will remain,
seeming to feign death, for an indef.
mite period.
When surprised by hungry bird
then the beetle not only hurls itself
out of immediate danger, but prepares
a surprise for its enemy in the event
of pursuit and discovery. For, with
its legs and antennae tucked out of
sight, It has all the appearance of a
dangerous and uncanny looking rep
tile, and the hungry but now thor
oughly disconnected bird turns away
In search of some more appetizing OBJ
ject. Then the beetle, after waiting
few seconds to make sure that the
bird has really decamped, puts out its
feet and feelers and goes merrily
about its business. Its strange eye
spots have been its salvation.
BY far the most numerous recur-
rences of the eye-spot In the insect
world are seen. upon the wings of but
terfiies and moths. In some instances
the distinctive mark Is small and oft
repeated; In others 1t is large, soli-
tary and staring. Moreover, the color
and makeup" vary as much as the
size, the most curious variety being
the eye-spot with perfectly trans
parent centre. which looks just as
though a small piece of glass or mica
had been let into the insects wing.
Now, such very striking and COM
plicated markings cannot have be-
come characteristic of large families
of butterflies and moths without some
important meaning attaching to the
circumstance, and 1t has been sug-
gested as possible that the "eye"
possesses some protective value in
that 1t would be likely to attract
birds as point at which to strike.
If bird, when in chase of butter
fly or moth, were to pierce one of its
eye-spots, little damage would be
done to the insect, which would gain
time to evade its pursuer. On the
other hand, the fate of an insect
would be sealed If bird once struck
and injured its body. This sugges-
tion was first made by Darwin
Scientific American.