134 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



curred in great numbers feeding on the common plum aphis 

 infesting the inclosed tree. These larvae were observed in one or 

 two instances to eat the larvae of the Chilocorus, and when they 

 were brought together in a jar the Adalia larvae attacked readily 

 the younger larvae of the Chilocorus. While the normal food of 

 the Adalia consists of plant-lice, it seems to have a rather general 

 feeding habit, and very probably will eat anything of the insect 

 sort which is alive and soft, including the larvae of its own species. 

 Large numbers of the wheel-bug (Prionidus cristatus] were also 

 found in the little Department grove, and these also were observed 

 to feed on any scattering ladybird larvae which they came across, 

 including Chilocorus. The wheel-bug never fed upon the scale, 

 and its only function in the orchard was an injurious one, destroy 

 ing the larvae of both the plant-lice and scale-feeding ladybirds. 

 He referred also to the introduction of the European rear-horse 

 (Mantis religiosd], which, as well as our native species, feeds on 

 ladybird larvae. The larvae of a lace-winged fly (Chrysopa sp.) 

 preyed also on the Chilocorus. Summing up these observations, 

 he expressed the belief that all the insects mentioned, and other 

 general-feeding predaceous species, ought perhaps to be classed as 

 harmful rather than beneficial. The fact that they occasionally 

 destroyed injurious larvae is scarcely to be taken into account for 

 the reason that the larvae so destroyed are usually of species which 

 are easily controlled by other means. The important point is 

 that they destroy the larvae of insects such as the ladybirds, which 

 prey naturally on classes of insects plant-lice and scale species 

 which are with difficulty destroyed by artificial means. The 

 position of the Adalia may, perhaps, be questioned in this regard, 

 and probably under normal circumstances it confines its food 

 pretty strictly to the plant-lice, and only attacks other soft-bodied 

 insects in times of scarcity of its normal food. 



OCTOBER 16, 1902. 



The lyist regular meeting of the Entomological Society of 

 Washington was held at the residence of Mr. Frank Benton, 

 " Argyle," Fourteenth street extended, N. W. Dr. Dyar occupied 

 the chair and Messrs. Marlatt, Gill, Waite, Hopkins, Barber, 



