Lives of Insects. 



The lives of insects are divided into four well marked stages. Tliese are: 

 <!) the egg; (2) the larva (caterpillar grni) or maggotl, during which, as 

 ■a rule, they are most injurious: (3) the pupa or chrysalis, in which, except 

 in a few orders, they do not feed, and are, as a rule, without the power of 

 locomotion; and (4) the i^erfect in.sect. Although most insects are injurious 

 in one or two stages, only some are destructive in all three of their active 

 stages. It therefore becomes important to learn their appearance and habits 

 from the time the eggs are laid until the whole life histor.v is completed, so 

 that no opportunity of destroying them may be lost. 



BUiiiii and Siickiiif) Insects. — All insects may be divided into two large 

 classes, by the nature of their mouth parts. In the first or larger division. 

 Biting Insects, they are furnished with mandibles or biting jaws, by means 

 •of which they consume the substaiice of their food, as In the case of cater- 

 pillars, lieetles, grasshoppers, etc. lu the second class. Sucking Insects, they 

 have, instead of mandibles, a beali or tube by means of which they suck up 

 their food in a liquid form from beneath the surface, as in the ca.se of the true 

 Tjugs, plant-lice, .scale insects, mosquitoes etc. 



CHAPTER II.— REMEDIES. 



X.\TUI!IO OF ATT.\CK. 



When insects are observed to be injuring a crop an examination should 

 at once be made to discover the nature of the injiir.v. so as to decide upon the 

 proper remedy. It is plain that with Biting Insect.s, which bite off and 

 ■swallow parts of the plant attacked, all that is necessary is to place upon the 

 food plant .some poisonous substance which will not injure the plant, but which 

 being eaten by the insects attacking it. will kill them. With Sucking Insects. 

 Tiowever, this treatment would be useless, for they would push their beaks 

 through the poisonous covering on the outside of the food plant, and would 

 with impunity suck up the sap upon which they live, from beneath the surface. 

 For Sucking Insects, therefore, some substance must be used which will kill 

 by mere contact with their bodies, or by suffocating them. 



For nearly all the kinds of injurious insects which attack our staple crops. 

 we have now good practical remedies; and all that is necessary for the farmer 

 or gardener who sees that his croijs are being injured by insects is to write at 

 once to tlie Division of Entomology, at the Central Experimental Farm. 

 ■Ottawa, stating plainly what the trouble is, and. whenever possible, sending 

 ^specimens for examination. In most cases, useful advice can be sent back at 



