1-Ki:i)|.\(, IIAKIIS <)!■■ A 1, ADN l;iK|) l.ARNA. 305 



occ.'isioiiallw to ni()\r lo some ])()iiil where the juicts \\ill rinw 

 more treely. 1 have seen a larva, al'l t cleaniiio out an a])his, 

 go round to two or three other le.s;-s and suck them dry, re^nir^i- 

 tating- little more than enough to till the leg in each ease. 



( )n another occasion I saw a larva attach itself to an ai)his 

 which a smaller larva had already started on. It was curious 

 to note the rai)idity with which the aphis was alternately em])tied 

 and refilled. As I had nothing better than a pocket magnifier 

 with which to watch the operation. 1 was unable to determine 

 which larva got the lion's share of the re])ast. Prol)ably one 

 went away emjnier than it came I 



The question which naturally occurs to one is, why dcjes 

 the larva devom- its prey in this extraordinary fashion? Why 

 does it not sim])ly suck it dr}\ as other members of the tribe 

 do? It appears probable that the habit originated in the injec- 

 tion into the aphis of some c>f the larva's digestive juices in 

 order to still its struggles, and thus render it an easier iprey. 

 From this to the full withdrawa.l and regurgitation of the juices 

 of the ajihis would be merely a question of gradual evolution. 

 The usefulness of the process seems obvious, as very little but 

 the bare, almost trans])arent skin is left when the larva has 

 finished its meal. This is in marked contrast with the appearance 

 of an aphis off which an adult ladybird has dined. Probably, as 

 Mr. Mall}- suggests, the digestive ])rocess goes on during the 

 operation of feeding, the juices of the larva's stomach dissolving 

 the contents of the body of the aphis. I have noticed, i)articu- 

 larly towards the end of a meal, when the lower and more solid 

 part of the body of the aphis is being absorbed, that while the 

 injected fluid is usually clear and thin, that withdrawn is charged 

 with what appear to be fatty globules, some of which are of 

 considerably larger diameter than the leg o: the aphis, and 

 become elongated when passing through it to the mouth of the 

 larva. These globules may. indeed, be watched in process of 

 detachment from tlie interior of the aphis. 



1 have not as yet been able to ascertain the nature of the 

 larva's feeding api)aratus, but hope to be able at some future 

 date to furnish a note on it. 



I may mention that 1 have observed another ladybird. 

 Hy/^eraspie hottcntota Muls., with similar feeding habits. The 

 larva in this case is almost oval in shape and of a dark colour, 

 with a large yellow s])Ot on each side. It has no woolly covering. 

 S])ecimens of the adult insect of both species have been sup- 

 l)lied to Air. C \\'. iVIally, Cape Province luitomologist. Agricul- 

 tural Department, Capetown. He submitted them to Dr. L. 

 Peringuey, Director of the vSouth African Museum, who indenti- 

 fied them as the species indicated above. 



