affecting the CIover-croj)s and Pasture-lands. 59 



18, COLASPIS ATEA 



of authors, which eats off the leaves in the perfect as well as in 

 the larva state, leaving only the foot-stalks ; so that, instead of 

 getting four crops, as the farmer ought to do, he rarely gets two. 

 Thus this insect is a worse enemy to the lucern than the Apion 

 apricans is to the clover.* 



Clover and artificial grasses are said to suffer from the inroads 

 of the ladybirds, which is a very curious fact, the favourite food 

 of the British species being the aphides, as we have shown in an 

 early Report.j 



19. CoCCrXELLA IMPUXCTATA 



is reported by Dr. Hammerschmidt and Mr. Heeger to do mis- 

 chief in its larva state to various sorts of clover, the tare, sainfoin, 

 and lucern (^Medicarjo sativa, Linn), by consuming the cellular 

 tissue of the leaves. The larva is yellowish-white, with small 

 green spots, the upper side clothed with prickles. It changes to 

 a pupa of similar colour, and slightly hairy. The beetle is nearly 

 semi-globose, yellowish-red above, pitchy beneath, a spot on the 

 thorax, and the legs are reddish-brown. 



It is in dry seasons and poor soils that the clover suffers most 

 from these insects, as the produce is then so small that they are 

 not disturbed by repeated mowing; whereas in moist seasons a 

 more rapid growth is acquired, and, the crop being often cut and 

 carried from the field, the insects cannot pass through their meta- 

 morphoses. This ladybird is common everywhere in Germany 

 annually ; but I do not remember its occurrence in England : at 

 all events it does no mischief here. 



Plant Lice. 



The clover crops do not seem to suffer from the attacks of 

 aphides ; but vetches, like peas and beans, are frequently infested 

 by them. 



20. Aphis Vici^, ■Fah. ; A. Pisi, Curt. 



I have found this species in abundance, in May and June, on 

 vetches. At that time the apterous females, as I presume them 

 to have been, were very large and of a bright green colour. In 

 the middle of June I observed families of all sizes of the same 

 species infesting the heads of grey peas : these were also all 

 apterous ; but in the beginning of July the winged specimens 

 made their appearance, and Avere no less plentiful on the broom, 



Mr. F. Walker, who is so well conversant with the economy of 

 the aphides, has favoured me with the following observations on 



* Vide Ann. Eut. Soc. de France, 1844, p. 271. 

 t Journ. Koy. Agr, Soc, vol. iii. p. 49. 



