262 LARCH CHEATER — ITS DECEPTIVE APPEARANCE. 



In its perfect state the Bark-louse lady-bird is 0.17 or 0.20 

 long, very convex and almost hemispheric, highly polished and 

 shining, covered with numerous very minute punctures. It is 

 black with a round red or reddish yellow spot on the middle of 

 each wing cover. Beneath it is black with the abdomen red or 

 yellow, its basal segment black except upon each side. 



It is probable that the scale insect of the pine can be destroyed 

 by thoroughly showering the leaves with a solution of soap or 

 with tobacco water immediately after the young larvae have 

 hatched from the eggs. Could we be so fortunate as to devise 

 some mode by which we could multiply the lady-bird at plea- 

 sure, it would undoubtedly be the most effectual mode of rid- 

 ding the pine and also the apple tree of these minute vermin 

 which are so pernicious to them. 



2. THE LARCH OR TAMARACK. 



AFFECTING THE LEAVES. 



On the limbs in June and July, consuming the leaves; a large flattened 

 ash-gray worm, resting appressed to and closely resembling the bark. 

 The Larch cheater or lappet MOTn, Planosa Laricis, (plate 2, fig. 5,6,) 

 new species. 

 The modes by which nature has endowed many insects to ena- 

 ble them to elude the search of birds and other enemies are 

 often truly wonderful. Among the insects thus endowed, the 

 lappet moths and their caterpillars have often excited the ad- 

 miration of the curious. The latter when in repose have the 

 body flattened, somewhat like that of a leech, and on eaeh side 

 of each segment projects a little lappet or flat lobe. These lap- 

 pets are pressed down upon the surface of the limb on which 

 the worm is at rest. The sides of the. body are also fringed with 

 hairs which are similarly appressed to the limb. Thus all ap- 

 pearance of an abrupt elevation or an interstice to indicate the 

 ends and sides of the worm is obliterated, and it resembles 

 merely a slight swell of the natural bark, the deception being 

 made complete by the color, which is commonly identical in its 

 hue with that of the bark. And when there are spots or marks 

 upon the caterpillar, they imitate the glandular dots, scars and 



