REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 289 



tis Carolina). As useful an insect as occurs in the Southern States 

 is Icnown by the above popular names in diifereut localities. Its food 

 consists entirely of other insects, which it approaches stealthily and 

 seizes with its powerfid spined forelegs. Tlie amount of good which it 

 does in thus destroying noxious insects is h ard to es timate. The capacity 

 of each individual can be seen from the fact that in one night a single 

 female has been known to kill and devour eleven Colorado potato-beetles, 

 leaATug only the wing-cases and parts of the legs.* The only objection 

 to them seems t€ be that they are not sufficiently discrimiuating in choos- 

 ing their prey, and beneficial as well as noxious insects suffer from their 

 attacks. They seeiu to be especially fond of one another, and after sex- 

 ual union the female frequently devours the male.t 



The mantis winters in the egg state and its pecular egg-masses (.see 

 Plate X, fig. 2) are abundant and conspicuous upon tree twigs through- 

 out the winter. 



The next order, Heshptera, contains several hard-working cotton- 

 worm enemies. 



The Spined Soldier-bug {Arma [Podisus] spinosa Dallas). — ^This 

 insect (Plate X, fig. 3) is a most useful one from its usual cannibalistic 

 habits. Dr. Phares says, in answer to question 6 a. of the 1878 circular : 



Many are said to do so, of which I cannot testify: but for the foUowing I can; 

 Soldiers- bugs pierce the caterpillar, suck their juices, and thus destroy them (see illus- 

 trative plate. Rural Carolinian, Augtast, 1870, p. 68:J). The soldier-bug presents his 

 lance, moves deliberately and steadily along till the caterpillar is impaled. 



Specimens were also received from Mr. Txelease, with the remark that 

 he had observed them on several occasions to kill the cotton-worm. 



The G-reeisi Soldier-bug {Rapliigaster [Nezara] hilaris [Pennsylva- 

 nicus of Fitch.]). (Plate X, fig. 4.) 



This insect was figiired by Mr. Glover in his report on Cotton Insects 

 (Rept. Dept. of Agri., 185*5, PI. VIII, fig. 5, p. 93), and in the text 

 spoken of as i)iercing cotton-bolls and sucking the sap. Mr. Bailey, 

 of Monticello, Pla., is given as authority for the statement. It was 

 said to be very abundant in the cotton fields. 



Concerning its killing the cotton -worm, Professor Willet, in a recent 

 letter to this department, has the following : 



A -word about an enemy to the cotton-worm. At Montezuma, Macon County, 

 Georgia, September 20, when collecting cotton-wonns (Aletia argillacea) for experi- 

 ments, I saw one extended in the air horizontally from a cotton leaf, holding on only 

 by his two anal feet and contorting his body about as if in great pain. On examina- 

 tion, I found a plant bug had pierced hiiu about the anus and was quietly sucking his 

 juices. I had no vial nor box, and could only drop them in the basket with other 

 larvae. The next morning I found the caterjiillar dead : but the bug was not to be 

 found. I think, from the hurried sight I got, it is what Glover calls the green Plant 

 Bug, Plate VIII, hg. 5. A gentleman living there told me he saw another cotton- 

 worm impaled in its side by a similar bug. 



It would, of course, be unsafe to accept the identity of the insects 

 upon such insufficient grounds, but it is probable that, if not the same, 

 Mr. WiUet's insect was an allied species of Eaphigaster. We have Mr. 

 Clover's authority that either hilaris or a closely allied species is pre- 

 daceous upon the Colorado potato-beetle. It is probable also that the 

 same insect is meant by several of our correspondents, who enumerate 

 " green chinches" as among the enemies of the cotton-worm. 



The Thick-tiitgiied Metapodius {Acanthoceiyhala [Metapodius] femo- 



"See First Missouri Entomological Report, p. 169 (1869). 

 t See Packard's Guide to the Study of Insects, p. 575. 



19 AG 



