﻿16 



New York State College of Forestry 



NATURAL ENEMIES 



Of the natural enemies of Hemiptera we can only offer incom- 

 plete records as time did not permit detailed studies of this phase 

 of the associations. The mammals of the region, save perhaps the 

 beavers, probably have little influence on the hemipterous fauna. 

 The latter by the construction of dams have altered the conditions 

 of the drainage channels and inundated rather extensive areas. 

 As a result of the higher water level many of the plants have been 

 smothered and replaced largely by more or less hydrophytic forms. 

 With this transition of the A^egetation there has, of course, been a 

 change of the hemipterous content of the flooded areas. 



Fig. 9. — Bean Pond on the New York State Ranger School Tract 

 near Wanakena, K Y. See description of Station Number 10. 

 Photo by Osbom. 



Birds are numerous and no doubt some of the species prey 

 extensively on this group of insects, especially during certain 

 parts of the year but we have not observed any specific instances 

 of especial or noteworthy attacks on particular species. Reptiles 

 are not great in numbers and are of little importance as checks 

 upon Hemiptera. The Batrachians, especially frogs, are quite 

 numerous and feed largely upon insects. No attempt has been 

 made to study the contents of the stomachs of toads and frogs of 

 the Cranberry Lake region, but the works of Kirkland,* Surface,! 

 Drake,$ Munz § and others readily show the economic aspect of 



* Kirkland, A. H. Habits, Food and Economic Value of the American Toads 

 Bull. 46 of Hatch Exp. Station of the Mass. Agri. College, pp. 1-31, 1897; — Usefulnes. 

 of the American Toad. Farmers' Bull. No. 196, U. S. D. A.; pp. 1-16, 1904. 



t Surface, H. A. Economic Features of the Amphibians of Pennsylvania. Zool. 

 Bull. Pa. Dept. Agr., 3, 67-152, 1913. 



t Drake, Carl J. The Food of Rana pipiens Shreber. Ohio Naturalist, 14:257- 

 269, 1914. 



§ Munz, PhiHp A. A Study of the Food Habits of the Ithican Species of Anura 

 Dunng Transformation. Ponoma College Jl. of Ent. & Zool. 12:33-57, 1920.. 



