Garden Friends 



199 



Fig. 158. Hawkflies 



1, Scceva balteata; 2, Larva with greenfly in its 

 jaws; 3, Pupa. 4, Scatva PyrasM; 5, Larva; 6, 

 Pupa. 7, Scceva Ribesii. 



to the activity they display in running to and fro in the sunshine in 

 search of food. The last-named (P. cupreus) is about in. long, with 

 a green, bronzy, brassy or bluish-black body, the under surface being 

 black. 



Frog's, Toads, Lizards. These much - maligned animals must be 

 regarded amongst the best friends of the cultivator. The Frog (Rana 

 temporaria) feeds upon insects and small slugs, and will also devour beetles 

 and fairly large insects. The Toad 

 (Bufo vulgaris) will also destroy large 

 numbers of insects, including slugs, 

 beetles, woodlice, and even worms. 

 The toad will only eat living things, 

 and therefore makes sure of this con- 

 dition by waiting until its victim shows 

 signs of life. At the least movement 

 the toad darts out its tongue and 



o 



swallows its prey at a gulp, except in 

 the case of worms, which require a 

 little more attention. The Common 

 Lizard (Zootoca vivipara) lives upon 

 various kinds of beetles and insects 

 that are injurious to garden plants. 



Hawkflies. These two- winged insects of the genus Scaeva are very 

 numerous from July to September, and have received their name from the 

 fact that they hover over flowers like a hawk; but they vary the hovering 

 by suddenly darting about. They are deadly enemies to aphides, including 

 American Blight. The eggs of the Hawkflies are laid amongst the aphides, 

 upon the bodies of which the young Hawkfly maggots feed voraciously, 

 each one being capable of destroying one hundred aphides in an hour. The 

 Hawkfly maggots are to be recognized by their relatively large, fleshy, and 

 thin-skinned bodies resting among the aphides or slowly crawling about. 

 They are whitish, pale green, or yellow, and in some cases lined or streaked 

 with orange. When fully developed the maggots 

 assume a pear-like shape, and attach themselves by 

 the tail to some part of a plant and then pupate. 

 In a few days the perfect insect comes forth again 

 to carry on the war amongst the aphides. The 

 perfect insects and the larvae, therefore, as shown 

 in fig. 158, should never be destroyed, if possible, 

 as they perform such beneficial work. 



Ichneumon Flies. These are found all over the kingdom, and are 

 chiefly engaged in destroying destructive caterpillars of various kinds. 

 Some deposit their eggs in the caterpillars or the pupae. The Ichneumon 

 maggots feed upon the soft parts until the caterpillar or chrysalis is about 

 to undergo a change. This, however, it cannot effect, owing to the injuries 

 received, and it consequently dies. Fig. 160 shows on the left how a large 



Fig. 159. Ichneumon Fly 

 (magnified) 



