lo First Report on Economic Zoology. 



(loiiiiT; in the case of mangolds in this country in districts where the 

 beetle occurs in large numbers. 



If the land is in good heart maize may be put in in the place 

 of the mangolds that have been destroyed. The beetles would 

 probably leave this plant alone, if they are not all destroyed by deep 

 ploughing. 



This is not an uncommon pest, liut is not reported very often 

 on accoimt of the damage being attributed to other causes, such as 

 ants, etc., the beetles, owing to their small size, being either not 

 observed or if observed mistaken for ants. 



Black Fly on Mangold. 



{Aj)liis atriplicis, Linn.) 



Some insects attacking the seed heads of the mangold were sent 

 to the Board of Agriculture from Childerley Hall, Cambridge ; they 

 were one of the Aphides known as Ajjhis atriplicis, Linn. This 

 species feeds normally on the Chenopodiums in the summer and on 

 the common Orache (Atriplex 2)cdula) in the autumn. 



The apterous females are of various colours, green, olive green, 

 black. Buckton descril^es four distinct varieties : (1) wholly black, 

 (2) black with orange tibite and white patches on the body, (3) body 

 green with white bands, legs ochreous or whitish, (4) head and 

 thorax black, abdomen green with white spots. The pupal stage is 

 black with white patches, thorax and wing cases olive. The wdnged 

 female that produces living yonng is dark olive, the abdomen barred 

 with black and with lateral spots ; the honey tubes are green at the 

 base and black at the apex ; the legs are yellowish except the hind 

 femora and tips of the other femora. The male is wingless and of a 

 greenish-yellow colour, head black, thorax with black markings ; 

 the abdomen has three longitudinal rows of black spots forming 

 almost bands on the apical part. Legs, and cornicles dull grey. 



The oviparous female is also apterous and green, tlie head having 

 two dark spots. 



The Life-histoky. 



Little is known concerning its life-history. The females of the 

 last generation lay their eggs on the dead rolled up leaves of the 

 plants upon which they have been feeding, amongst their debris 

 formed of cast skins, frass, etc. The ova are elongated oval, yellow 

 at first, and gradually become black. These eggs are laid in the 

 autumn after the apterous males have appeared and fertilised the 



