274 



INSECT LIFE. 



FIG. 250. 



THE AMBUSH-BUG.- -There is a greenish bug, with 

 very strong fore legs and a broadly expanded abdo- 

 men (Fig. 250), which conceals itself in the flowers 

 of goldenrod and in other flowers. This is the am- 

 bush-bug ; it rests quietly among the flowers 

 until some nectar-loving insect comes with- 

 in its reach, when the visitor is seized and 

 destroyed. The ambush-bug can overcome 

 insects much larger than itself. Its name is 

 Phymata wolffii (Phy-ma'ta ivolf r fi-i\ and it belongs 

 to the family PHYMATIM: (Phy-mat'i-das). 



THE GOLDENROD GALLS. One of the most 

 familiar of abnormal growths on plants is a ball-like 

 enlargement of the stem of goldenrod (Fig. 251). 

 This is caused by a maggot which lives within it, 

 and which develops into a pretty fly with banded 

 wings. The name of the fly is 

 Try pet a solidaginis ( Try-pe'ta sol- 

 i-dag'i-ms), and its gall is desig- 

 nated as the round goldenrod 

 gall. 



There is another gall on the 

 stem of goldenrod which is FlG 2 ^7._The round" gold- 

 more elongate and is hollow. enrodgaiL 

 This is known as the elliptical goldenrod gall ; it is 

 represented in the lower part of Fig. 246. This gall 

 is made by the larva of a Tineid moth, Gelechia gallce- 

 solidaginis (Ge-le l -chi-a gal-lce-sol-i-dag'i-nis). 



Collect specimens of these galls, and, placing 

 them in breeding-cages, rear the adult insects. 



