I/ADYBIRD BEETLES. 



275 



As each beetle lays nearly one hundred egg's, and each g-rub that 



comes out eats from one to two hundred 

 aphis per day, the destruction of aphis 

 may be very rapid. Tliis beetle is 

 very abundant over a larg-e part of the 

 plains in India feeding" princdpally iipon 

 cotton aphis. With it is another, ' the 

 Seven-spotted Beetle, which feeds upon 

 wheat aphis in particular and becomes 

 enormously abundant in aphis-infested 

 wheat. 



Other species include the very small 

 brown beetles,^ whose larvae are 



Fig. 334. 



Cocoon of Green Chrysofa. 



{Magiiified.) 



clothed in dense white 

 processes which give 

 them the appearance of 

 a mealy bug. These 

 larvae are found feed- 

 ing upon cotton aphis 

 on tur aphis, on the 

 cotton mealy bug and 

 on many other com- 

 mon insects. There is 

 a large number of 

 other species common 

 in the plains, but the 

 above are the most 

 important. 



Fig. 336. 

 Green Chrt/sopa. 



Fig, 335. 

 Brown Chrysopa Fupa. CMagmfied.) 



The lace-wing flies are very 

 delicate green or brown insects, 

 with large wings and golden eyes, 

 which are found commonly upon 

 plants attacked with aphis. They 

 lay eggs which have the appearance 

 of a rice grain set upon a small 

 stalk. A number of these are laid 

 together in a cluster on the leaf of 

 the infested plant. 



' Coccinella septempnnctata L. 

 ^ Scymnns spp. 



