ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY. 63 



striped with deeper green. The eyes are black, honey 

 tubes green, and there is a short, tail-like appendage of a 

 black color." The winged females and the males are very 

 similar in color. The head, thorax and antennse are black, 

 with the neck usually green. The abdomen is short and 

 thick, of an oval form and bright green color, with a row 

 of black dots along each side; the wings are transparent, 

 with dark brown veins. 



Most of the insects belonging to this family (Aphidae) 

 are provided with two little tubes or knobs, which project 

 one on each side, from the hinder part of their bodies; 

 these are called honey tubes, or nectaries, and from them 

 is secreted in considerable quantities a sweet fluid. This 

 fluid falling upon the leaves and evaporating gives them a 

 shiny appearance, as if coated with varnish, and for the 

 purpose of feeding upon this sweet deposit, which is 

 known as honey- dew, different species of ants and flies are 

 found visiting them. Ants also visit the colonies of aphides 

 and stroke the insects with their antennae to induce them to 

 part with some of the sweet liquid, which is greedily sipped 

 up. This fluid is said to serve as food for a day or two to 

 the newly-born young. 



The leaves of trees infested by these insects become dis- 

 torted and twisted backwards, often with their tips press- 

 ing against the twig from which they grow, and they thus 

 form a covering for the aphides, protecting them from 

 rain. An infested tree may be distinguished at some dis- 

 tance by this bending back of the leaves and young twigs. 

 It is stated that the scab on the fruit of the apple tree often 

 owes its origin to the punctures of these plant lice. This 

 species, which was originally imported from Europe, is now 



