102 THE entomologist's record. 



The British Coccinellid^.^ — The insects comprised in this group 

 are essentially of the highest interest and importance to agriculturists, 

 florists, and mankind in general, from the fact that in their larval and 

 pupal stages they feed on the pests termed Aphides. In those portions 

 of the country devoted to the cultivation of hops, the Aphides, or " Fly " 

 as they are sometimes called, do a vast amount of injury to the planta- 

 tions, and the quality and quantity of the hop crop often depend on 

 the repressive measures adopted to rid the vines of their tiny but 

 numerous enemies. Yet, in spite of all precautionary measures, the 

 Aphides, owing to their marvellous power of reproduction, continue 

 year after year to flourish and multiply. As destroyers of Aphides the 

 Ladybirds are undoubtedly the best servants possessed by the agricul- 

 turist, as not only do they derive their sustenance from the Aphides, 

 but they also destroy many more than are required for actual feeding 

 purposes. It will thus be seen that the part played by the Ladybirds 

 is of incalculable value, and that the species should in all stages be 

 protected from wanton destruction. 



Number of Species. — In Dr. Sharp's Catalogue, 187 1, the division 

 Coccinellidce comprised twelve genera, containing altogether forty-one 

 species. In the Catalogue issued by Fowler and Matthews at the 

 commencement of 1883, some thirteen genera were enumerated, and 

 the species then known numbered forty-five. In the same year, 

 however, Dr. Sharp brought out a revised edition of his Catalogue, 

 wherein the group was rearranged under sixteen genera, although the 

 number of species remained the same as in Fowler and Matthews' 

 Catalogue. 



For many years British coleopterists laboured under the great 

 disadvantage of not having a good handbook on this branch of 

 Entomology; but in 1887 the first volume of The Coleoptera of the 

 British Islands was issued by Canon Fowler. In 1889, the third 

 volume, which contains the Coccinellidce, made its appearance. The 

 entire work is now completed. The alterations in the arrangement of 

 the genera and species of the Coccinellidce were numerous. We find 

 in Canon Fowler's work that the group is now divided into two 

 divisions, viz., Coccinellidce-Phytophagce, containing but a single species, 

 and Coccinellidce-Aphidiphagce, comprising fifteen genera, and containing 

 forty-two species. The total number of British species, despite the 

 fact that a new species of Coccinella is incorporated in the group, is 

 thus reduced to forty-three. This is accounted for in the following 

 manner: — by transferring Alexia pilifera to the Eiidomychidce ; by 

 classing Exochomus nigroinaculatus {auritus) as doubtfully British ; and 

 by reducing Scymnus linibatus and S. scutellaris to the position of 

 varieties only. As most of our species are sufficiently recognisable by 

 the markings of the elytra, it is scarcely necessary to go into the matter 

 of structural differences. 



Coccinellidce Phytophag.^. — The only species in this division, 

 now called Subcoccinella 2\punctata, L., was formerly known in our 

 lists as Lasia globosa, Schneid. The insect is very local. Unlike the 

 other members of the British Coccinellidce, it is a plant feeder, and can 

 be obtained in considerable numbers by using the sweeping-net in the 



1 Abstract of paper read at meeting of City of London Entomological and Natural 

 History Society, March 3rd, 1892, by Mr. G. A. Lewcock. 



