BRITISH INSECTS 



the abdomen tip does not bear any spots. The thighs 

 of the Pea Beetle are black. The eggs of the one species 

 are laid on young pea pods, and the other confines itself 

 to the bean. A round hole shows the place of emergence 

 after pupation. The fat, yellowish-white larva is 

 wrinkled. At first it has three pairs of very small legs, 

 but these eventually disappear. 



The Chrysomelidce mostly includes leaf- feeders, and 

 some of these are regarded as very serious pests. They 

 protect themselves by exuding an obnoxious juice, and 

 a Foreign species is so poisonous that the natives of 

 Ngamiland use it for poisoning their arrows. 



The Mustard Beetle (Phadofi cochlearice), is a common 

 British species which destroys the leaves of mustard, 

 and the Asparagus Beetle {Crioceris asparagi), is injurious 

 to the plant after which it is named. It has bluish- 

 green wing-cases bordered with red, and three yellow 

 spots on each, with a red thorax, and is about a quarter 

 of an inch in length. It eats, both as a larva and adult, 

 all parts of the asparagus plant, both above and below 

 ground. The brownish, oval eggs are laid in large 

 numbers during June on the plant attacked, and the 

 larvae are actually ready to pupate in about a fortnight. 

 By then, of course, great damage has been done. The 

 adult hibernates among soil, or dead leaves, during 

 Winter. 



The family Tenehrionidce includes the Mealworm 



Beetle {Tenebrio tnoUtor), which is a well-known pest in 



mills and granaries. It is a long, narrow rust-coloured 

 68 



