572 



NEW JERSEY AGRICULTUKAL COLLEGE 



July r>tli, \ho l:i(ly-l)ii\l was observed feeding on the tulip soft 

 scale, Lecanliun tuVipiferae, near Summit. Several badly infested 

 trees were found and on all of tliem the adult beetles as well as 



larv?e were present. In this 

 case there was no protection 

 for any stage and the pupse 

 were found on the under- 

 sides of the leaves or resting 

 in and partly concealed by 

 the rough bark. 



The beetle larvse undoubt- 

 edly destro\'ed many of the 

 scale larvae, but were actu- 

 ally observed feeding only on 

 adults. In this case they did 

 not get within or under the 

 scale, but rested at its side, 

 and apparently sucked out 

 the IkxIv juices through a 

 ]unicture. A similar method 

 of feeding was observed in 

 an allied larva later in the 

 season. This was feeding ou phint lice, and was seen to hold on 

 by a leg which had been punctured, while under a lens the body 

 juices of the louse could be seen running down and passing into 

 the miuith cavity of the larva. Small scale larvse may be eaten 

 ■entire by the larva of the Hyperaspis, but of large specimens only 

 the juices are absorbed. 



The interesting point in these obseiwations is tliat whereas in 

 1905 the ]adyd)ird beetle and its larva were found feeding almost 

 exclusively on the cottony scale, Pulvinaria, in 1906, when the 

 latter was absent or rare, the Psendococcus, and even the Lecanium, 

 were attacked and used as substitutes. The Pulvinaria is undoubt- 

 edly the nonual food, and it will be interesting to observe whether 

 in its i>ractical absence the beetle will maintain its numbers on the 

 other scales, of which the tulip soft scale at least is trouble-some 

 enouiih ro need an effective check. 



Fig. 2.-,. 



Liirva (if Sisiintc Liuly-binl : much enlarged. 

 Oiiiriniil. 



