Rural School Leaflet 885 



Observations for the pupils. — i. How large is the ladybird? What is 

 its shape? 



2. Describe the colors of your ladybird. How many kinds have you 



seen? 



3. Can you see the ladybird's head and antennae? Can you see, back 

 of the head, the thorax covered with a shield? How is this ornamented? 



4. What are the colors of the wing covers? How many spots are there 

 on them? Describe the position of the wing covers when the ladybird 

 is flying. Where does the ladybird keep her true wings when at rest? 

 Describe the wings. 



5. Note the legs and feet and describe them. To what part of the 

 body are the legs attached? Is the ladybird a good runner? 



6. Describe how a ladybird plays possum when disturbed? Of what 

 use is this to the insect? 



7. Describe a young ladybird. Does it look like its mother? What is 

 its shape? Is it polished like its mother, or is it warty and velvety? 



8. How does it act when eating? Can you see how it uses its jaws 

 when eating? Describe its legs. Is there a claw at the end of each foot? 



9. Describe the action of the ladybird larvse in attacking and eating 

 plant lice or scale insects. 



10. Describe how a ladybird larva grows by shedding its skin. 



11. Feed the larva by placing it on fresh plants covered with plant 

 Hce, and note its growth. What happens when it changes into a pupa? 

 How does it look when in the pupa state ? What happens when the pupa 

 skin bursts? 



12. Where do the ladybirds spend the winter? Why should we take 

 good care of them? 



THE APPLE-TREE TENT-CATERPILLAR 



Anna Botsford Comstock 



The m_oth of the tent caterpillar is a canny mother and does her best 

 to protect her eggs from their enemies and from the vicissitudes of winter. 

 This is an especially wise proceeding on her part, for she lays her eggs in 

 the summer, and there they must stay safe and sound until the coming 

 spring. She selects some apple twig and on it she lays her beautiful 

 white eggs, each shaped Hke a thimble; she arranges them in a mass that 

 encircles the twig, and weaves around them a net of dark, firm cement 

 that holds them fast in place. Then she covers the whole mass with 

 a waterproof varnish, which protects the eggs from dampness and at the 

 same time makes the egg mass look like a swollen bit of the twig, so as 



