16S8 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



pointed. With tliese it penetrates the 

 body wall and sucks out the contents 

 throush the grooves. The legs are short 

 with sharp claws to clasp tirnily the loot- 

 ing it may have in order that it may, as 

 is its hahit, lift the prey bodily into the 

 air. where its struggles are in vain, and 

 hold it there until all the body juices 

 have been extracted. So fierce are they 

 that they devour not only mealy bugs, the 

 larvae of ladybird beetles, but their own 

 kind. 



Pupa 



When fully develoi)ed and ready to un- 

 dergo transformations the larva spins a 

 thin, hard-walled, globular pupa case 

 about itself in some crack or crevice and 

 remains dormant for some time. These 

 globular pupa cases are often nearly cov- 

 ered with long white filaments — not un- 

 like cotton — by which they are fastened, 

 and are grouped together in small lots or 

 may be single. 



Adult 



The adult insect is from five-sixteenths 

 to three-eighths of an inch long and twice 

 as long including the length to the tip 

 of the folded wings, of a beautiful green 

 color with a longitudinal dorsal yellow 

 band extending from the front of the head 

 to the last abdominal segment but one. 

 There are four large, membranous wings, 

 wonderfully nerved (from which comes 

 the name lacewing), and bright, trans- 

 parent green. The head is yellow above, 

 green beneath, and amber or brown on 

 the sides. The thorax and abdomen are 

 green except the dorsal yellow band. The 

 wing veins and the entire body are cov- 

 ered with fine hairs. 



Ladybirds or Ladjbngs 



Coccinellidae 



This family of insects, with but few 

 exceptions, is predaceous, that is, it lives 

 by preying upon other Insects. The life 

 histories of the various members of the 

 family are so similar as not to require 

 separate treatment. 



The eggs of the ladybird beetle are 

 laid in clusters not unlike bunches of 

 cigars stood on end, and may be found 



almost anywhei'e, from board fences to 

 the various parts of the foliage of a tree. 

 They are small, pointed at both ends, and 

 salmon colored. The eggs of one variety 

 Seym us sordidus, are deposited singly and 

 are difficult to find. 



The larvae as soon as they emerge 

 from the upper end of the eggs begin their 

 search for food, which consists of very 

 small insects at first. They grow very 

 fast and develop tremendous appetites. 

 The body is long, very rough, hairy and 

 dark with red or yellow markings on the 

 back. They have six legs and are capable 

 of traveling very rapidly. As soon as 

 fully matured they hang themselves up 

 by the tail-end to some twig, leaf, limb, 

 or any other convenient place of sup- 

 port and transform into the pupal stage. 

 These pupae may be seen almost any- 

 where in the orchards. They are reddish 

 brown or grey with dark markings. 

 When touched or disturbed they will sud- 

 denly throw up the head as if to strike 

 the assailant. From this stage emerges 

 the adult beetle, which produces more 

 eggs and begins another life cycle. 



Red Ladybird Beetle 



Coccinella californica Mann. 

 A scarlet-red beetle very common 

 throughout the state of California. Its 

 head and thorax are black but the wing 

 covers are bright orange or red with a 

 dark spot at the middle base. It feeds 

 on many varieties of aphids. 



Black-Spotted Red Ladybird 



Hippodamia convergens Guer. 

 A red beetle with twelve black spots 

 on its back. Head and thorax are black, 

 with white margins and small white spot 

 at base of thorax. The wing cases are 

 very dark to light red, each with six 

 black spots. They are a quarter inch 

 long by three-sixteenths inches wide. The 

 larvae when fully developed vary from a 

 quarter to nearly three-quarters of an 

 inch long. They are dull black with 

 bright orange or yellow markings on the 

 back. The pupae are amber or reddish- 

 brown with transverse dark bands across 

 the body and numerous dark spots on the 

 back. 



