CHAPTER IV. 

 BENEFICIAL INSECTS, PREDACEOUS AND PARASITIC. 



Ladybird-beetles. 



After his strawberries have been ruined by the Straw- 

 berry-weevil, the garden truck by Cutworms, the wheat 

 despoiled by the Hessian Fly, the melon-patch fallen a 

 prey to plant-lice, and the fruit crop has been a failure on 

 account of the Codling-moth, Plum Curculio, and San 

 Jose Scale, it is scarcely surprising that the farmer does 

 as one of my acquaintances did and '^orders the hands to 

 kill everything that crawls." 



But such would be entirely too heroic a measure, and 

 if strictly adhered to the remedy would be as bad as the 

 disease, for it would mean not only useless labor, but the 

 destruction of the most effective means whereby insect 

 pests are held in check. We j^ride ourselves — and justly 

 — that with our Paris green and kerosene sj^rays and gas 

 tent most of the crops can be effectually protected ; but 

 were it not for those other insects which feed u23on these 

 injurious forms, what an enormous and, in some instances, 

 almost futile task it would bsl 



Among these beneficial insects the little Ladybird- 

 beetles of the family CoccineUidce are entitled to be in the 

 first rank. Almost all the beetles and larvae feed upon 



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