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been used with some success if persisted in. But they generally 

 march with little check until they are ready to pupate. How- 

 ever, parasites and disease find them, and their numbers are de- 

 creased so that the second year seldom produces them in alarming 

 numbers. 



The native California Lady-bird (Hippodamia convergens) 

 Larvae and bursting pupa. 



Native California Lady-birds 



These native Lady-birds are of the utmost importance to the 

 fruit and plant grower as they are constantly preying on the various 

 young scales, mealy bug, and especially the aphis. Every one 

 should learn to recognize the larva and pupa, as well as the adult 

 beetles and protect and preserve them all as much as possible. 

 The larva are so peculiar in appearance that once known they 

 willl never be mistaken for anything else. They are as repulsive 

 and ferocious looking as the adult is the opposite. They reach a 

 length of y% of an inch and vary from brown to black in color, 

 some having bright red and yellow markings. They are nearly 

 an eighth of an inch wide in the middle and taper nearly to a point 

 at each end. They bristle all over, especially about the head, 

 with short, black, coarse hairs. Some other Lady-birds, equally 

 beneficial but not so numerous, have larva covered with tangled 

 threads of pure white. Many of the native species are collected 

 in the mountains, where they go to hibernate in the winter time; 

 and are preserved in cold storage at the State Insectary to be 

 distributed at the proper season to melon growers and others who 

 request them for the control of aphis, and while no other species 



