56 
COCCINELLA. 
to its beautiful inmate in the months of May and 
June. 
The Coccinellae are very numerous, and some 
kinds are known to intermix occasionally; thus 
causing- a considerable difficulty in determining 
the real distinction of the species. They are gene- 
rally divided according to the ground-colour of 
the wing-sheaths, which are either red with black, 
yellow with black, black with red, or yellow with 
white spots. One of the most beautiful of the 
English species is the Coccmella octodecim-punctata 
of Liniijeus, or the eighteen-spotted Lady-Bird, 
which is little more than half the size of the com- 
mon red kind, and is of a bright yellow colour, 
with numerous black specks, generally eighteen in 
number. 
The Coccinelhe, both in their larva and com- 
plete state, feed chiefly on the small insects called 
Aphides. 
