THE RAPACIOUS SOLDIEE-BUG. 169 



insects, imagining that they are all injurious to vegetation, it will he well to warn 

 them that some species are beneficial, by destroying injurious insects, and their clus- 

 ters of eggs should be preserved wherever found. Among these, a hexagonal mass of 

 eggs Avill frequently be met with, cemented together with a species of guin or resin, 

 which is said to be gathered from the tree by the female. These hexagonal masses of 

 eggs are deposited on the bark of trees, on fence-rails, under the eaves of outbuildings, 

 or wherever the female chances to be at the time of oviposition, to the number of seventy 

 or more ; each egg, when separated from the mass presenting the appearance of a some- 

 what' square flask standing on its own bottom. The larvae, when young, are blood-red 

 with black marks, and do not resemble the adult insect, excepting somewhat in form 

 and habits. The larvae, pupae, and perfect insects feed upon all other insects they 

 can overcome, not even sparing their own brethren. When very young they destroy 

 great numbers of plant-lice, Aphides, and, when older, they prey upon caterpillars, or, 

 indeed, upon any other insect they can overpower. They kill their prey by inserting 

 into it the proboscis, which ejects a most powerful poisonous liquid into the worm. 

 The victim thus pierced dies in a very short time. Then they leisurely suck the juices 

 out and drop the empty skin. 



The perfect wheel-bug is a large and very singular-looking insect, of very slow and 

 deliberate motions when undisturbed and stealing up to its prey. It is of a grey color, 

 and has a high semicircular ridge or projection on the crest of its thorax, armed with 

 nine perfectly arranged teeth or cog-like protuberances like very short spokes or cogs 

 of a wheel ; hence the vulgar name of wheel-bug. The young shed their skins several 

 times before attaining their full size. As this insect is constantly employed, from the 

 moment it is hatched, in searching for and destroying noxious insects, it may be con- 

 sidered a friend to the horticulturist and farmer. 



A dozen or so of these insects, placed near the nest of some of those caterpillars so 

 destructive to our fruit aad forest trees will destroy almost every caterpillar in it in a 

 short time, as they are so extremely voracious that each insect will destroy several cat- 

 erpillars daily. Great care must be taken, however, when handling the adult insects, 

 as they are very apt to sting or rather insert their strong curved beaks into the naked flesh, 

 and the poisonous fluid ejected, when the wound is made, is extremely powerful, and 

 much more painful than the sting of a large wasp or hornet. One of these insects, having 

 stung the* writer, the pain lasted for several hours, and -was only alleviated by appli- 

 cations of ammonia. Several days afterward the flesh immediately surrounding the 

 puncture was so much poisoned that it sloughed off, leaving a small hole in the injured 

 thumb. 



For the activeness of the devil's horse in the cotton fields of the South, 

 many correspondents have vouched, and planters should treat h:m like 

 the friend that he is. 



THE RAPACIOUS SOLDIER-BUG (Sinea multispinosa, De Geer, [Say's 

 Reduvim raptatorius] ). This insect (see Fig. 1C) is lound all over the 

 country, North and South, preying upon all kinds of insects. Ljke the 

 last-named species, whe:i young it devotes itself to plant-lice, bus upon 

 attaining its growth it attacks insects of a l.:rger size and of more 

 economic importance. In the North it has done a good work in destroy- 

 ing canker-worms, Colorado potato-beetles, and other pests, and during 

 the past summer they were seen in considerable numbers about the cot- 

 ton fields, engaged in killing the cotton-worms. 



According to the editors ot the American Entomologist, Vol. I, p. 207, 

 the eggs of the rapacious soldier -bug are about the size of a 'coinmou 

 pin's head, are laid in two parallel rows upon the bark of limbs or twigs, 

 and each egg is bordered round its tip-end with a fringe of short prickles. 



