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FAMILY APHIDES. 



These delicate little insects are found on tips of 

 rose bushes, peach and apple trees, and on the young 

 leaves of many of our garden plants. They have 

 a piercing and sucking mouth, and the body is 

 pear-shaped, with a rounded head with a pair of 

 long, jointed antennaB. The legs are very long — 

 like ' 'stilts." Some forms are winged, but the 

 majority are wingless. Their life history varies 

 Avith different species. On the fifth segment of the 

 abdomen is a pair of tiny tubes called siphons, 

 Avhich stand nearly erect from the body. (Plate 49, 

 Fig. 1 a.) The siphons are said to exude a waxy 

 secretion which it smears on the heads of the 

 enemies who come near enough. From the tip of 

 the abdomen a globule of honey dew can often be 

 seen (Plate 49, Fig. 3 a) ; this is secreted by the 

 insect and is so abundant that a trail of the sweet, 

 sticky substance is sometimes to be seen showing 

 its track. This honey dew at one time was thought 

 to be secreted and sent out from the siphons. 

 Because of the honey dew, these insects are often 

 attended by ants; and bees and wasps occasionally 

 partake of these sweets. But it is the ants which 

 are the especial friends of aphides and may be 

 seen stroking them and surrounding them as they 

 partake of the honey dew, hence they are often 

 called "ants' cows." This serves as a pro- 

 tection to the aphides. One writer tells of a par- 

 ticular species of aphis which, during the wingless 



