Entomological Notes. 



303 



transformations •within the branch, or leaves it for this purpose to 

 •enter the ground; though the former hypothesis is the more likely. 

 "This insect, in the beetle state, is more active at night than 

 during the day, and is often jarred down upon the sheet or curculio 

 catcher, for it falls about as readily as the plum curculio." 



Lady Birds. 



Coccinella. 



Among thousands of insect enemies there are a few insect friends 

 which aid very much in keeping the foes in check. Their whole 

 mission seems to be to prey on the destroyers and prevent such an 

 increase in their numbers as would prove fatal to plant life. Each 

 injurious insect has its parasite foe, and these generally develop so 

 rapidly in numbers, with the increase of the insect upon which 

 they prey, as to counterbalance, and in some instances almost to 

 annihilate them. Thus they render an aid that we can illy dispense 

 with; and one of the greatest objections to the use of poisons in the 

 destruction of insects is, that it proves fatal alike to friend and foe. 

 The lady bird is justly regarded as one of the most useful of our 

 friends. They are very numerous, and are to be found everywhere. 

 It is estimated that there are over one thousand species, often dif- 

 fering but slightly in size, marking, color and form. The charac- 



Fig 17. 



Nine-Spotted 



Lady Bird. 



Fig. 18. 

 Larva of the Nine-Spotted 

 Lady Bird. 



Fig. 19. 

 Pink Lady Bird. 



Mppodamia maculata. 



teristic form, in the beetle state, is hemispherical. Their color is 

 generally j^ellow or red, with black spots, or black with white, red 

 or yellow spots, but there are some species without spots; one of 

 the most common of this class is what is called the trim lady bird, 

 whose wing cases are of a uniform red color. The nine-spotted 

 lady bird is, perhaps, the most common, Fig. 17; its wing covers 

 are of brick color, with nine black spots. The maculata, Fig. 19, 

 is also often seen, in which the color is pink, with large black 

 20 — Hort. So. 



