56 COCCINELLA. 



to its beautiful inmate in the months of May and 

 June. 



The Coccinellas are very numerous, and some 

 kinds are known to intermix occasionally; thus 

 causing a considerable difficulty in determining 

 the real distinction of the species. They are gene- 

 rally divided according to the ground-colour of 

 the wing-sheaths, which are either red with black, 

 yellow with black, black with red, or yellow with 

 white spots. One of the most beautiful of the 

 English species is the Coccinella octodecim-punctata 

 of Linnaeus, or the eighteen-spotted Lady-Bird, 

 which is little more than half the size of the com- 

 mon red kind, and is of a bright yellow colour, 

 with numerous black specks, generally eighteen in 

 number. 



The Coccinellse, both in their larva and com- 

 plete state, feed chiefly on the small insects called 

 Aphides. 



