THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 1 b c J 



NEW ENEMIES OF THE COLORADO POTATO BEETLE. 



BY I'.. I'.. REED, LONDON, <>NT. 



MVSIA 15 PUNCTATA, Olti. 



Sometime during the latter part of July last, while wandering about the 

 outskirts of a large potato patch, and examining the damage caused by 

 the Colorado beetle. T found on the vines the larva of a beetle belonging 

 to the family of Coctinellida or Lady Birds. The insect was new to me. 

 and although there were no larvae of the Colorado beetle in the immediate 

 vicinity, yet I was in hope that 1 had discovered a new enemy of our 

 abominable pest. To test the question more at leisure, 1 took my newly- 

 found treasure home, and placed it in a box. wherein were numerous speci- 

 mens of Colorado larvae in all stages, from the diabolical looking little 

 monster just hatched from the egg.to the full-grown. fat, and repulsive larva 

 dragging its bloated body slowly about in search of some convenient 

 place to undergo the transformation into the pupal state. The box was 

 roomy and covered with a glass top, so that I had ample opportunities of 

 observing what took place. After a little preliminary tour of inspection, 

 my Lady Bird friend caught sight of a small Colorado, and immediate!) 

 made a bee line for it, and commenced a fierce attack upon the unhappy 

 little victim, seizing it in the powerful jaws, with which Dame Nature has 

 provided most of these creatures, and in the course of a very few r minutes 

 sucking the juices completely out, and leaving only the dry and blackened 

 looking skin as a ghastly monument of its victory. It then commenced 

 its attacks, after a short interval, on a full-grown specimen, which, how- 

 ever, had strong objections to be eaten all-alive-oh, and struggled viciously 

 with its enemy, which was not nearly so large, although of course much 

 more active. Its efforts at resistance were vain, and after Mr. Lady Bird 

 had got its jaws firmly fixed in its victim's broad and capacious back, the 

 struggles soon ceased, and it became a question of the capacity of the 

 Lady Bird larva, to contain all the juices that were in the body of its cor- 

 pulent victim. Nearly an hour was occupied in this little operation, and 

 when it was over, our friend retired to rest on its laurels and digest its 

 enormous meal at its leisure. 



For several days 1 watched at different times a repetition of the 

 same thing, and the Lady Bird must have consumed some eight or nine 

 Colorado larvae. I regret that I neglected to make any description of 



