THE LADY-BIRDS. 145 



three, whence the name of Trimera has been applied 

 to the group. The form in all is either ovate and 

 very convex, or perfectly hemispherical, and the 

 colours for the most part are red or yellow with black 

 spots. No insects, however, are more liable to vari- 

 ation in this respect than the Coccinellce, for the same 

 species, which in its typical condition has red or 

 yellow elytra with black spots, will often exhibit 

 varieties in which the spots are entirely wanting, 

 others in v^hich they have become confluent, so as to 

 render the elytra black with red spots, and others in 

 which even the last vestiges of the original red ground 

 have disappeared. One of the most beautiful species 

 is the so-called Twenty-two-spotted Lady-bird (C. 

 22-punctata), which is of a bright sulphur-yellow 

 colour, and although it does not exceed a sixth of an 

 inch in length, bears no less than twenty-five black 

 spots upon its upper surface, five on the prothorax^ 

 and ten upon each elytron. It is found not uncom- 

 monly upon nettles and other plants on hedgebanks. 

 The majority of these Beetles follow a very similar 

 mode of life. The eggs are laid in small patches in 

 the midst of the Aphides, which are destined to fur- 

 nish nourishment to the larva, so that the latter, as 

 soon as hatched, finds itself in the midst of an abun- 

 dant supply of food. It is of an elongated ovate and 

 depressed form, and, in the common species at least, 

 of a light slate colour, with yellow spots and tubercles 

 on its surface. It is furnished with six legs, upon 

 which it crawls rather slowly, but as the Aphides on 

 which it preys are of a still more sluggish nature, the 

 carnivorous little larva has no difficulty in obtaining 

 a plentiful meal. When full grown the larva attaches 

 itself to a leaf or branch by the extremity of its abdo- 



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