INSECT FRIENDS. 1 I I 



The Lady bird. 



The lady-birds (Coccinella se-ptempunctata and C. 

 bi-punctata) produce grubs which are most useful in 

 destroying aphides. The grubs are flattish, of a dark or 

 leaden grey colour, and ornamented with black and yellow 

 spots ; the grubs of both species (seven- and two-spotted 

 ladv-birds) are very much alike, but those of the two-spotted 



Lady-Birds. 



I and 2 eggs (natural size and magnified) : 3 and 4 grub ; 7, 8 and 5 

 two-spotted lady-bird and chrysalis ; 9 and 6 seven-spotted lady-bird 

 and chrysalis. 



species are considerably smaller than those of the other, 

 being not more than a quarter of an inch in length. They 

 change their coat several times during growth, and are 

 continually searching for, and feeding on, aphides. When 

 fully grown they turn to a chrysalis, and remain gummed 

 to a leaf until they reach the mature state of a lady-bird. 



Air Bees or Wasp Flies. 



These are of different shapes and colours ; some are dark 

 and similar to a large ant, others long and narrow, not 

 unlike a small wasp. These insects make their nests in 



