176 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



Hippodamia convergens, Guer. The Convergent Lady-bird. 



A little smaller than the preceding, and broadly-oval in shape; orange 

 or orange-red ; thorax black, with two oblique white dashes ; five black 

 dots on each wing-case, placed 2, 2 and i, the anterior two the smallest, 

 all less in size than those on the H. maculata. 



Hippotamia ij-punctata, Herbst. The 13-Spotted Lady-bird. 



Rather smaller than H. convergens, but similar in form; of a brick- 

 red color, with six black spots on each wing-case and one on the suture 

 near the front. 



Hippodamia glacialis, Fabr. Ice Lady-bird. 



Similar in form and size to H. maculata; of a bright orange-red 

 color ; thorax black, with two oblique yellow dashes ; each wing-case 

 marked with a double black spot just behind the middle, and a single 

 black spot near the tip. A northern species. 



Coccinella g-notata, Herbst. The 9 -Spotted Lady-bird. 



About the same length as H. maculata, but hemispherical in form, 

 varying in color from orange to a brick-red ; with four black spots on 

 each wmg-case and one on the suture near the front. 



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Coccinella miinda, Say. The Trim Lady-bird. 



Is somewhat smaller than the preceding species ; hemispherical ; of 

 a clay-yellow or' dull orange color, without spots or marks of any kind on 

 the wing-cases. 



Anatis i^-punctata, Oliv. The 15 -Spotted Lady-bird. 



This is our largest species, being nearly half an inch long ; hemispher- 

 ical in shape ; the thorax is cream colored, with a large black spot in the 

 middle and usually a black dot each side ; the wing-cases chocolate color, 

 with seven black dots on each and one on the suture near the front ; but 

 it varies considerably, and some of the dots are sometimes wanting. 



Among the Hymenopterous insects which assist in destroying plant- 

 lice, none, perhaps, are more effective than certain very minute Ichneu- 

 mon flies, which have received the name Aphidiides from the fact that 

 they are parasitic upon the Aphides or plant-lice. 



These little insects, which seldom reach one-tenth part of an inch in 

 length, are wasp-like in shape, furnished with four tiny wings with three 

 cubital cells in the anterior ones ; mostly black bodies, variously adorned 

 with bright yellow bands and other marks ; the second and third segments 

 of the abdomen move freely upon each other. When one is about to 

 deposit her eggs she approaches and touches a plant-louse with her long 

 slender antenna, and is enabled thereby to determine with certainty 

 whether it has received an egg ; if not, she at once punctures the body 



