THE WHITE EGG AMIDST THE PLANT LICE. 



During June few insects are more abundant than the 

 aphides or plant lice. These are small, green, brown, or black 

 insects that may be found crowded on the young twigs of 

 apple, cherry, and other trees. They are very similar to the 

 little " green fly " so often injurious to house plants. 



By a little searching you may often see in the midst of these 

 colonies of plant lice on the branches of trees and shrubs a few 

 small white eggs, much longer than wide. Sometimes the sur- 

 face of these eggs is smooth, but often the eggs are covered 

 with distinct raised lines. 



These are the eggs of the bright-colored, two-winged flies 

 called syrphid flies. A few days after they are laid the eggs 

 hatch into little footless maggots, somewhat the shape of a 

 very long triangle. 



At the head end, each of these maggots is furnished with 



a pointed beak. By 

 means of this beak the 

 young larva pierces the 

 body of the nearest 

 plant louse. It then 

 generally holds its vic- 

 tim up in the air while 

 it sucks the life-blood. 



The plant lice are 

 small, and a single one 

 does not long satisfy the appetite of the syrphid larva. 'As 

 soon as the first victim is sucked dry its shriveled skin is cast 

 aside and the fatal dagger is thrust into the side of another. 



50 



Fig. 50. — Syrphid Fly : a, Larva ; h, Pupa Case ; 

 c, Fly. Straight Lines show the Natural Size. 



