REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 295 



We figure (Plate XII., fig. 10) the only vegetable-feeding lady-bird in 

 order tliat those interested may know what it is, and not consider it a 

 beneficial species. It is known as Epilachna borealis, Thunberg. It is 

 much larger than any before mentioned, is of a light reddish yellow 

 color, with seven large bl-ack spots upon each wing-cover. The thorax 

 is of the sarae color and has four small black spots. The head is con- 

 colorous with the thorax, and the eyes are black. Both the larvae and 

 perfect insects feed upon the leaves of cucumbers, melons, squashes, 

 and pumpkins — eat unsightly holes in them, and, when numerous, com- 

 pletely destroy the plant. Another beetle, of injurious prochvities, is 

 often mistaken for a lady-bird by the planters, although it belongs to 

 an entirely different family. This is the twelve-spotted Diabrotica, 

 Diabrotica duodecwi-pimctata, Fabr, This insect is shown at Plate XII, 

 fig. 11, and certainly does resemble Coccinella to the untrained eye. 

 The principal points of diHerence between it and the common H.i])poda- 

 mias, which it most resembles, are that the Diabrotica is usually green- 

 ish, varying occasionally to yellowish, that it has twelve black spots 

 arranged in parallel rov/s down the wing covers, and that the thorax is 

 green and unspotted. The twelve-spotted Diabrotica belongs to the 

 Simily ChrysomeUdae, or leaf-eating beetles. Dr. Packard states that they 

 devour the leaves of dahlias, and they are commonly found gnawing 

 melons, squashes, and cucumbers. 



In the next order, Lepidopteha, it would bo fair to suppose that tho 

 cotton-worm had no enemies, since predacious insects are extremely 

 rare in this Order. 



In spite of this fact, many Lepidopterous larvae when placed in con- 

 finement will destroy one another, and facts have developed which war- 

 rant us in putting the boll- worm drown as an occasional enemy of the 

 cotton worm. 



The boll-worm {Heliotliis armigera, Hiibn.). — Although the boll- 

 worm may be put down as almost omnivorous, and although it becomes 

 cannibalistic in confinement (so much so that in breeding but one can 

 be kept in the same cage, and in sending through the mails one box had 

 to be allowed for each individual), we hardly expected to see it develop 

 any characteristic which could be called beneficial ; yet, according to 

 the observations of Mr. Trelease, it seems to have done so. Mr. Trelease 

 says in his report : 



Owing to ita tough integument, the pupa of Aletia seems to be freer from insect 

 attack than the larva is, yet even its hard skin does not always save it. About the 

 middle of August I first noticed what appeared to be au anomalous preparation foe 

 pupation in the boll-worm {Heliothis armigera), for I found several full-grown larvae 

 of tills species with leaves closely webbed around them, precisely as Aletia webs up 

 before changing to a piipa. An examination of one of these, however, showed me 

 that the boll-worras had not webbed them about themselves, but had insinuated them- 

 selves into leaves folded and preoccupied by Alelia, the latter having ah-eady passed 

 into the pupa state ; and they had done this for the express purpose of feeding on 

 these pupae; viany cases of this sort were seen. 



So plain a case as this requires no comment. It is of interest scien- 

 tifically but its practical bearings are slight. Earlier in his report, bear- 

 ing on this same point, Mr. Trelease says : 



No Lepidopterous enemies of Aletia larvae were observed by myself, but Dr. Lock- 

 wood of Cariowville, Ala., says that a number of years ago be saw a large green larva 

 devouring numbers of cotton-caterpillars. From what we know of the habit of the 

 boll-worm (Heliothis armigera) it seems not at all unUkely that these larvae ma,y have 

 belonged to that species. 



It ^vill also be interesting in this connection to state that the boll- 

 worms have been observed to kill one another on the i^lauts, in open 

 air, and perfectly unmolested, as will be shown later. 



