Identifier: insectsabroadbe00wood (find matches)
Title: Insects abroad : being a popular account of foreign insects, their structure, habits, and transformations
Year: 1883 (1880s)
Authors: Wood, J. G. (John George), 1827-1889 Metcalf Collection (North Carolina State University). NCRS
Subjects: Insects
Publisher: London : Longmans, Green, and Co
Contributing Library: NCSU Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: NCSU Libraries

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e or green, accord-ing to the light in which it is viewed, the elytra are glossy greenwashed with gold, and the translucent wings are very pale anddelicate brown. The legs are also green, and the raptorial legsare remarkable for the width of the thighs and the great strengthof the teeth or spikes Mnth which the thigh and tibia are armed. TH-K rURPr.E THESPIS. 295 The remarkable insect which is represented in the illustrationbelow is called Thcspis furpurascens, the latter name beinggiven to it on accoimt of the splendid purple hue with whicha portion of the wings is coloured. The specimen in theBritish Museum is, I believe, unique. It was brought from Ega,in SoTith America, by Mr. Bates. When the wings are closed, the creature looks much like oneof the ordinary walking-stick insects, some of which willbe presently described ; bnth the elytra and wings lying quiteclosely to the body, and the latter being only slightly darkerthan the general hue. The head is set cross-wise, like that of
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Mii. 1-i-i. — ilii;s;ii.s purpiinisctiis.(Green, with yellnw and purple wings.) the Hammer-headed Shark, or, to use a moie familiar example,like the head of our common Demoiselle Dragon-flies. When the wings are opened and spread, a wonderful store ofsplendid colouring is displa3ed. The basal portion of each wingis very pale brown, and is covered Avith multitudinous tiny pen-cillings of snowy white. The rest of the wing is bright yellow,on which are two large marks of deep shining purple, rathertending to red on the upper surface and to blue on the lower,which is more brilliant than the upper. All the legs, even thera)itorial pair, are very long and slender. There are several species of Thespis, but this is by far themost beautiful, though not the largest. One species, Thespisingens, is of very great size, but has very small and absolutelyuseless wings; while Thespis ^cefiea, although not brilliantly 296 INSECTS ABROAD. coloured, has very large wings wliich can be used for flight.On

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