202 OTHER DENIZENS OF THE WOODS 



their eggs beneath their bodies, remain immovably upon them, as if hatching them, 

 and die whilst they shelter them as with a roof. The young, which creep out from 

 under the mother's dead body, disperse on the plant in quest of a convenient 

 sucking-place where they live as permanent parasites, either singly or in a crowd. 

 By extracting the sap they inflict great damage in hothouses. Besides these, there 

 are some useful species, which produce pigments, manna, and shellac. Young shoots, 

 blossoms, and twigs, especially of garden roses, are often entirely covered with the 

 white shields of Asj)idiotus rosce, the males of which are pale red and finely 

 powdered, whilst the flat, oval females are yellow, with three rows of dots and a 

 white shield on their backs. Another species is Lecanium racemosum, the males 

 of which are yellowish brown, with pale pink wings almost as long as the body, 

 and the legs brownish yellow. The females are pouch-shaped, and have been 

 known to attack pines in such a way that all the affected trees died. Curiously 

 enough, the females have a parasite feeding on their eggs, the larva of a trunk- 

 beetle {Brachytarsws varius), an oval, black insect, chequered with whitish tufts 

 of hair. Another species (B. scabiosus) frequents white beeches and cherry-trees, 

 where its larvae are also parasitic on shield-lice. 



The insects constituting the order Neuroptera are distinguished 

 by their two pairs of membranous net- veined wings, and their com- 

 plete metamorphosis. Among these, the flat-winged group, or Planipennia, have 

 particularly well-developed organs for biting, and are specially characterised by 

 their upper and lower wings being of equal length. When at rest, they lay their 

 wings flat over the body, both the upper and lower pair being kept unfolded. In 

 the lace-wing flies the larvae are about | of an inch long, lancet-shaped, and generally 

 variegated : they live on plant-lice. The fully developed insects, as a rule, lay 

 their eggs on the leaves of plants, and on account of their long stalks they were 

 formerly mistaken for a kind of mould. The larvae developing from these suck 

 plant-lice, and throw the skins on their backs, where they become mixed with their 

 excreta, which are also placed in the same place, and form a kind of bag. Perhaps 

 the best known species of lace-wing is the golden-eyed fly (Chrysopa vulgaris), 

 often seen in autumn in houses. It is § of an inch long, and of a grassy green, flesh- 

 red or yellow colour, with a flesh-coloured stripe under the eyes, and black hairs 

 on its green or red veined wings. Common all over Europe, except Spain and 

 Sai'dinia, it is found in German}- the whole year round. The scorpion-fly {Panola 

 communis), which also belongs to the flat-wings, is distinguished by having a pair 

 of claws on the abdomen, like those of scorpions, only bent forward, but it is not 

 provided with a sting. An allied species (Boreus hiemalis), which is less than a 

 quarter of an inch in length, and of a dark colour, lives in bushes during 

 spring and autumn, and may often be seen hopping about on the snow in winter, 

 while it is found even on glaciers. 



With the exception of such grasshoppers as are restricted to 

 Grasshoppers. . A ° x x 



animal food and five on insects, most of the members of the order 



Orthoptera are vegetable - feeders. The leaf -grasshopper, however, is partly an 



insect-eater, and is found in forests on bushes and trees, where it creeps instead 



