£0 Indian Museum Notes. [ Vol. VI. 



were feeding, in company with Coccinella septem-punctata, upon the 

 •eggs and young larvae of a chermes, Chermes abietis-piceae, which 

 nfest the spruce and silver fir and they also probably feed upon 

 a black Aphis which is to be found on the blue pine. 



Nothing further appears to be known about its life-history in 

 India. As the species is widely distributed from Europe to Africa 

 and Siberia in addition to Asia and India, it will probably be found 

 that it attacks and feeds upon a variety of Aphidae. 



Genus Coccinella. 



Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. I. 1735 (typ. 7 -punctata). 



Claws with a basalar tooth. Mesosternum entire. Margins of 



abdominal segments curved so as to meet in middle, but inclined 



at sides so that segments are visible. Prothorax prominent in front, 



semi-elliptical, with a flat base. Elytra slightly wider than prothorax 



and about three times as long ; oval truncate more or less convex. 



3. Coccinella septem-punctata. 



Coccinella 7-punctata, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 365. 8 (1758). 

 „ „ Muls. Secur. p. 79. 3 (1846). 



„ divaricata, Oliv. Ent. VI. p ioor, 21, pi. V. 67 (1808). 

 „ „ Muls. Spec. p. 112, 21 (1850). 



(Plate III, fig. 3) 



Predaceous upon Chermes abietis-piceae Steb. MS. and Aphis? sp- 

 (Blue pine Aphis). 



Beetle. — Head black with two dorsal white spots. Prothorax black 

 with a white patch in exterior basal angle on both sides. Elytra red, 

 a white spot on either side of the scutellum and a largish black spot 

 below it. Each elytron has three other spots— one placed medianly 

 and the other two laterally abouta |th and fths respectively from the 

 abse and near the outer angle. Long. 6*5 — 7*3 millim. Fig. 3 shows 

 beetle, natural size and enlarged. 



Distribution. — Crotch gives India. Gorham informs me that 

 the insect has been recorded from the Himalayas as well as from 

 loner elevations in Central and Southern India. 



Jaunsar Hills, N.-W. Himalayas. Elev. 7,000 — 9,500 ft. (mihi). 

 The Indian Museum has specimens from Afghanistan, N.-W. Hima- 

 layas, Sikhim, Mungphu, Murshidabad, Birbhum. 



Life-History. — The remarks already recorded above for H. 

 tonstellata apply equally to this insect, since the two were invariably 

 found in company in May and June. The Coccinella, however, was 

 also found up to the middle of July in the Jaunsar Hills, being present 

 there, upon Quercus semicarpifolia in addition to the conifers. Its 

 food is probably very varied since it ranges from Europe to N. Africa 

 and Siberia. . 



