Notes on the Green Bug in Texas. 



281 



taking old and young To.voptera gramhium just as they oc- 

 curred on oats and wheat seedlings and supplying them to these 

 young Megilla maculata, each being separately confined. The 

 counts were made promptly at the beginning and end of each 

 daily supply, and the missing number of green bugs in each 

 case was reckoned as the actual consumption by the ladybird 

 larva for the day. The entire results are herewith recorded : 



As the first meal of the larvae consisted of their own egg 

 shells, they did not commence to feed upon a supply of green 

 bugs until one or two days after hatching, and in some cases 

 longer. By simply transferring the larval ladybirds from one 

 jar to another containing each supply of green bugs, no confu- 

 sion could occur about the separate allotments. 



In the same manner as w^as pursued with the larvae, the feed- 

 ing capacity of a pair of adults in confinement together — male 

 and female, which matured from the reared larvae — was de- 

 termined for a period of 40 days, or from August 29 to October 

 7, in which time, 3,804 green bugs were devoured by them, thus 

 accomplishing an average daily destruction of 95 green bugs. 

 These figures show that a single adult ladybird is capable of 

 eating approximately 50 green bugs every day. These two 

 beetles were still alive at the end of December, when the work 

 ceased, but they had become dormant on the approach of cold 

 weather, and therefore very clearly indicated an aptitude for 

 passi/;g the winter in a true state of hibernation. 



At no time throughout the experimental test did these lady- 

 birds lack an abundant supply of live green bugs. Every ap- 

 portionment of such food was provided somewhat in excess of 

 the amount which the beetles really consumed within the dura- 

 tion of the allowances, in order that the insects might be 

 tempted to feed to their utmost capacity. In the treatment of 

 the larvae the food supply was furnished every day for the pur- 

 pose of keeping an exact daily record: but with the adults a 

 reckoning of the amount of their consumption was not always 



