Lady-l)ugs, Lady-birds 



269 



beetle and remember that the gentlemen beetles in 

 this case are always known as lady-bugs too. They 

 are probably suffragettes, and if they are they are 

 militants. Among the scientists they are known 

 as one-spotted lady-bugs, two-spotted lady-bugs, or 

 nine-spotted lady-bugs, but of course scientists do 

 not call them bugs ; they have scientific names sug- 

 gested by the number of spots on the beetle's back. 

 The lady-bugs always appear to be gentle little 



2^1 



creatures but that is because we are so big they do 

 not attack us and because we do not watch them 

 closely enough to see how fierce they are among 

 plant lice. There is one dusky little lady-bug 

 known as the Lion Whelp because he is so fierce. 

 But it is fierce and bloody-thirsty only among plant 

 lice. So the more we have of these beetles, the 

 better it is for our rose bushes. Fig. 249 is the 

 common JNIaculata; Fig. 250, larva; 251, pupa; 

 252, perfect Convergens beetle. 



