BLISTER BEETLES. 



205 



way is to destroy the beetles by hand-picking', an easy matter when they 

 are few. The dang-er is that useful lady-bird beetles may be collected by 

 mistake, but if tlic yellow spiny g-mbs are found, as well as the l)eetles, it 

 is fairly safe to destroy them. To any ouv, who lias seen both kinds of 

 beetles, there is no difficulty in discriminating" the epihichnas. In serious 

 cases, a spray of lead arseniate is a radical (;ure and this will destroy only 

 the epilachnas, the beneficial beetles not eating- the poisoned leaves. 



Fig. 241. 

 Orange Banded Blister Beetle 



Blister Beetles. 



The beetles fig-ured here are probably familiar to every one who 

 observes insect life in the plains ; they represent 

 the most common species of this group in India. 

 Blister beetles are characterised by having* a 

 somewhat soft integ-ument, a distinct neck 

 between head and thorax, and elytra which do 

 not fit tig'htly to the side of the abdomen but 

 look as if they belonged to some other insect. 

 On handling" them, an acrid yellow liquid 

 exudes from the joints of the legs. They are 

 moderately large insects with good powers of flight and may be found by 

 day in flowers or on the ground. These insects appear in August, 

 September and October and feed upon the flowers of plants ; exceptionally 

 they feed upon the leaves of plants, one species emerging in the lower 

 hills in vast numbers in May and eating certain weeds. Three species 

 are prominent in the plains, recognisable by their colouring*. The Banded 

 Blister Beetle ' is black with variable bands 

 of orange across the elytra ; the size and 

 colouring are very variable, orange or black 

 predominating. This species is common 

 throughout the plains and fields from August 

 to November or later. It appears in large 

 flights, settling in gardens and destroying 

 the flowers of pumpkins, cucumbers,!melons, 

 hibiscus, cotton and other large-flowered 

 plants. It is slow in flight and easily cap- 

 tured by hand or with a small net. The 

 Green Blister Beetle ^ is a smaller slender insect, the elytra a vivid green, 

 the neck reddish. It is associated with the Brown Bhster Beetle,^ a 



^ 50. Mylahris pustidata, Fabr. (CantharicliB.) 

 ^ 40. Cantharis tenuicollis. Pall. (Cantharidpe.) 

 ' 39. Cantharis roiixi. Cast," (Cautharidse.) 



Fig. 242. 

 Orange Banded Blister Beetle. 



