THE PREDACEOUS INSECTS 167 



pillars or other soft-bodied insects as they can find, sucking 

 their lifeblood greedily. They lay the rather large, more 

 or less barrel-shaped eggs in clusters upon leaves or bark. 

 The eggs soon hatch into tiny bugs that at first get food 

 by sucking the sap of various leaves or tender stems. 



During the next few weeks these young Soldier Bugs 

 molt several times, increasing in size each time. The 

 time when they stop sucking the sap of plants to begin 

 upon the blood of animals seems not to be known, but 

 it is probably when they are about half grown. During 

 the rest of their lives they seem to prefer animal juices to 

 those of plants, and go eagerly about in search of victims. 

 Among the most important of these are the larvae of the 

 Colorado potato beetles, asparagus beetles, cabbage worms, 

 web-worms, tussock caterpillars, cotton worms, leaf rollers, 

 codling moth larvae, sawfly larvae, and even the curious 

 walking sticks. 



This or a closely related Soldier Bug is one of the com- 

 monest predaceous enemies of the tent caterpillars, occur- 

 ring frequently in the nest of the American tent caterpillar. 



While the Soldier Bugs, as befits their name, are bold 

 freebooters, constantly invading new areas in search of 

 victims, the Ambush Bugs (Phymatidae) have quite a dif- 

 ferent habit. These take up their quarters in flowers or 

 other shelter where they patiently lie in ambush until some 

 unsuspecting insect comes within reach of their curiously 

 made, grasping arms. As soon as it has seized the victim, 

 the pointed beak serves to suck out the body juices, and 

 the remains are cast aside. 



Five species of Ambush Bugs are recorded for our region. 

 Only one of these is so abundant and widely distributed as 

 to be generally known. It may be called Wolff's Ambush 

 Bug and is in color a curious mixture of green and yellow. 



