December 31, 2007

On the other hand, in the pupae of most Lepidoptera and of some Diptera, there is more or less

On the other hand, in the pupae of most Lepidoptera and of some Diptera, there is more or less coalescence between the cuticle of the appendages and the cuticle of the body generally, so that the appendages do not stand out, but being, as it were, glued down to the body, are somewhat masked (see fig. 1 _e_ and fig. 23). Consequently the _obtect_ pupa, as this type is called, does not resemble its imago as fully as a free pupa does. The outline of the wings for example in a butterfly"s pupa can in some cases be traced only with difficulty. T.A. Chapman has shown (1893) that the completely obtect pupa characterises the more highly developed families of Lepidoptera, while in the more primitive families the pupa is incompletely obtect. If the pupa of a butterfly or moth be lifted and held in the hand, a bending or wriggling motion of the abdomen can be observed. In the incompletely obtect pupa, this motion is evident in a greater number of segments than in the completely obtect, the number concerned varying from five to two in different families. In the nymphalid butterflies, the pupa is often called a "chrysalis" on account of the golden hue displayed by the cuticle, and the term "chrysalis" is sometimes bestowed indiscriminately on any kind of pupa. It has been shown by Poulton (1892) and others, that the colour of a butterfly pupa is to some extent affected by the surroundings of the caterpillar just before its last moult.

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