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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



honey bees, bumble or humble bees, other bees, wasps, flower or 

 Syrphus flies and many others. The importance of this class of 

 insects and their work is hardly appreciated, yet without their aid 

 it would be practically impossible for us to raise most fruits, 

 simply because no man or group of men would have time to fer- 

 tilize, in the limited time available for such work, anywhere near 

 all the blossoms which are attended to without previous thought 

 or preparation on the part of man. 



85 Lady bugs. Certain species are exceedingly valuable agents 

 in controlling plant lice, which they and their young feed on. The 



Fia. 77 Two spotted lady bug: a larva; h mouth parts of same; cclaw of same; d pupa ; e adult; 

 antenna of same (reduced after Marlatt, U. S. dep't agr., div. ent., circ. 7, 3d s.; 



larvae, or grubs, are usually dark colored, marked with yellow, 

 and among hop-growers are known as " niggers." Some forms 



prey on scale insects. 



86 Soldier beetles (Ohauliognathus 

 species). These beetles are among ihe 

 pollen-carriers, and the larvae prey on 

 the worm of the codling moth. 

 87 Syrphus flies. The adults 

 are usually seen among flowers, 

 but the work of their fre- 

 quently brightly colored larvae in reducing the number 

 of plant lice is not so well known. These beneficial 

 maggots are somewhat conical in shape, and may be 

 found among colonies of plant lice. 



Fig. 78 The Pennsylvania sol- 

 dier beetle: a larva; h its head, 

 enlarged; i beetle 



Fig. 79 

 Larva of a 

 Syrphus fly 



