INSECTS AND OTHER SMALL ANIMALS 



319 



the Italians, Caucasians, Cyprians, Syrians, and Carnio- 

 lans. The black bees are very spiteful, difficult to 

 handle, and are not first-class workers. The Italians 

 are a great improvement. Nearly all of the bees kept 

 in this country are Italians or some cross of the Italians 

 with the black bees. They are not so difficult to handle 

 and are more profitable. The Caucasians and the 

 Carniolans are still more gentle than the Italians. 



Ichneumon Flies. - - The ichneumon flies represent 

 a class of flies belonging to the order Hymenoptera 

 that are of great 

 service in destroy- 

 ing certain inju- 

 rious moths and 

 otherinsects. They 

 lay their eggs in 

 the body of a moth 

 or other insect; the 

 larva lives on the 

 juices of its host 

 and may even pass 

 the pupa stage 

 within its body. 

 Figure 165 shows an ichneumon fly that bores a hole 

 with its ovipositor in wood and deposits its egg in the 

 burrow of some insect tunneling in the wood. When 

 the egg is hatched, the larva seeks the pupa of the other 

 insect and lives upon it. 



SPIDERS (Arachnida) 



This large division of the animal kingdom includes 

 spiders, scorpions, tarantulas, and mites. Let it be 

 remembered that, although these animals are many of 



FIG. 165. Ichneumon Fly. 



