222 AGRICULTURE 



There are insects which we regard as our friends because they 

 act as a check on injurious ones. 



Ladybirds. There are many beetles which live on other in- 

 sects. The most useful of these are the ladybirds. There are only 

 two or three injurious members in this large family. The lady- 

 birds are small beetles with bright-colored wings usually spotted 

 red and black. They live among the leaves of various kinds of 

 plants. As larvae and beetles, they feed on soft-bodied, injurious 

 insects, such as plant lice and flies. 



LADYBIRD BEETLES 



These ladybird beetles the nine-spotted, the fifteen-spotted, the two-spotted, the twice- 

 stabbed, and the pentilia devour injurious insects. 



Tiger and Ground Beetles. There are hundreds of kinds of 

 tiger and ground beetles, which devour many cutworms and cat- 

 erpillars. The tiger beetles are rather bright-colored and active. 

 They chase other insects, or lie in wait for them. Some of the 

 ground beetles are shining black, others are marked with brilliant 

 colors, gold, green, and purple. They usually prowl after 

 nightfall. Some of them climb trees in search of their prey. 



Dragon Flies and Damsel Flies. Dragon flies and damsel flies 

 are graceful insects, with gauzy wings. They live near ponds and 

 streams, and usually lay their eggs on the water. They feed on 

 smaller insects, such as gnats, flies, and mosquitoes. 



Ichneumon and Tachina Flies. The ich neu'mon and tach'i na 

 flies destroy insects, not by feeding directly on them, but by utiliz- 

 ing them as food for their maggots, as the larvae of flies are called. 



