122 FAMILY COCCINELLIDAE 



The grub is an elongated, six-legged, active grub, gre}' or black, at 

 times yellow or red, in colour ; the body is usually 

 Larva. widest across the middle and tapering to either end, the 



head being small and inconspicuous, w^hilst the tho- 

 racic segments are large and, with the abdominal segments, bear spines and 

 tubercles. The last segment is provided with a swelling or protuberance, 

 which is used by the grub in moving about. 



The grub pupates in the open on the plant, fixing itself to a leaf 



or twig by means of the anal foot. The larval skin 



Pupa. splits down, disclosing the oval-shaped pupa, and often 



remains partly surrounding it. 



Most of the Coccinellidae are predaceous insects, though a small section 



of the family are vegetable feeders. The predaceous forms feed chiefly on 



plant blights, Aphidae and Coccidae, and all the species known to be of 



importance in the forest feed in this manner. 



The life history is simple. The grubs and beetles prey upon the host, 

 the grubs being the most voracious, spending several 



Life History. weeks on the trees and plants in pursuit of their pre}-, 



which they puncture, and then suck out the juices of 

 the tissues, leaving an empty skin behind. The pupal stage is short. 

 The beetle, on maturing, also feeds, for a time at least ; in the case of 

 some species, the Vcdalia of the sal Monophlebus, for instance, this is so. 

 The insects then pair, and either lay eggs on the tree on which their host 

 lives, as I have myself observed, or, according to Lefroy (Indian Insect 

 Life, 305), " remaining for long periods without food, awaiting the proper 

 conditions of egg-laying." 



The eggs are laid in clusters on the leaves or twigs of the trees, in 

 shape being elongate and resembling a soda-water bottle. 



There is little doubt that the insects are of high economic importance 

 in the forest. To quote but one instance : the Vedalia, which preys upon 

 the Monophlebus scale insect of the United Provinces sal forests, undoubtedly 

 plays an important part in keeping this pest in check, and in generally 

 bringing a bad attack to an end. 



HiPPODAMIA. 



Hippodamia variegata, var. doubledayi, Muls. 

 Reference. ^Muls. Spec. p. 38 (1850). 



Habitat.— Siwaliks, North India. 



Habits. — I have taken this insect feeding upon the common aphis of the 

 peach tree, in gardens in the Dun Plateau in North India. The insect may 

 be taken in abundance in the hot weather. 



