Reports to the Board of Agrieiiltitre. 163 



Collecting and Distributing Lady-birds. 



Another correspondent wrote asking if quantities of Lady-birds 

 could be obtained here for distribution in ylyjA/.s-affccted gardens : — 



There is at present no way (»f obtaining quantities of British 

 Lady-birds. 



Comndia septniijinncldta. occurs in numbers some years, and is 

 especially noticed in the larval stage. The correspondent might have 

 them collected by boys in any locality. 



It would be best to advise him to obtain some foreign species as 

 done by Mr. Xorbury. 



The Jli'/y lOff (I /Ilia or tlie Lt>s pr(niuns]y meiitioucd may l)c pointe<l 

 out as liciug good species likely to do mcII in this country. 



Section 111. 

 Animals Injukious to FoRiisTKY. 



The Brassy Willow Beetle. 



{riiijJlodecta vttcUiiiw, Linn.). 



Some beetles that ha\e been troubling a grower of osiers at 

 Leicester proved to be the Willow Beetle, Phyllodeda {riimlura) 

 vitclllna'. 



This is a ^\•ell-known mIIIow ami osier pest and is the frequent 

 cause of considerable kiss. All the specimens sent belong to this 

 species ; but an allied one frequently does considerable harm as well, 

 namely, P. vulgatissima, Linn. This latter species is metallic or 

 greenish-blue, and the lines of punctures on the wing-cases irregular : 

 /'. ritellinie is bronze and the punctures on the wing-cases are 

 regular. 



Both these beetles are found in most pai-ts of Great Britain, the 

 Brassy AVillow Beetle l)eing often very abundant. Both species feed 

 upon poplars, as well as sallows and willows. Tliey damage the 

 plants both in theii- larval and adult stages by eating the underside 

 of the leaf riglit through to the upper epidermis. The leaves then 

 become torn, the upper jipidermis jjreaking away after iirst turning 

 brown. I have also noticed the beetles gnawing the young shoots. 



M 2 



