APPLE LEAVES, APHIS LIONS USE OF THEIR LONG JAWS. 77 



Later in the season I have known young plant-lice to be de- 

 stroyed by newly born aphis-lions. And although the fact is 

 indisputable that plant-lice are the chief food of this family of 

 insects during their larva state, they are by no means so limited 

 in this respect as is represented in the accounts heretofore pub- 

 lished. They appear to seize and devour worms of different 

 kinds with the same avidity that they do the plant-lice. I have 

 more than once seen them devour the maggots of the Syrphus- 

 flies which were feeding upon the plant-lice on the same leaves 

 with them. And a few days ago I placed in a box with a newly 

 captured aphis-lion an imbricated gall which is formed by a 

 species of midge (Cccidomyia) at the summit of the stalks of the 

 golden-rod, having first torn off the outer valve-like leaves of this 

 gall until I came to one of the larvse residing in it. The aphis- 

 lion immediately began to examine this gall, and coming to the 

 maggot, instantly grabbed it, sucking out the contents of its skin 

 with an evident relish. With his long jaws he then commenced 

 probing the fissures between the remaining valves ol the gall and 

 soon found another worm so deep between the valves that he 

 could only reach and pierce it with one of his jaws, and thus he 

 remained stationary until he had sucked the fluids of this worm, 

 the point of the unemployed jaw being pressed against the outer 

 surface of the gall during this operation. His proceedings at this 

 time plainly showed the purpose, I think, for which Nature has 

 furnished these larvse with such remarkably long slender sickle- 

 shaped jaws, namely, to probe narrow crevices and small holes 

 and fissures — the situation in which a portion of their prey lurks. 

 The dexterity with which he insinuated sometimes one, at other 

 times both of these instruments between the valves of the gall, 

 showed he was no tyro in operations of this kind. He even 

 crowded the valves somewhat apart, at times, to reach further in 

 between them. Whether these larvse are able to separate the 

 chaff surrounding a kernel of wheat sufficiently to insert their 

 jaws therein to destroy the larvse of the wheat-midge (C. Trilici), 

 I have not ascertained, though I should judge them capable of 

 doing this. If so, it may be possible to turn the labors of the 

 aphis-lion to a most valuable account in restraining the ravages 

 of this insect which is making such appalling havoc in our wheat 



