96 REPORT 4, UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



beetle larvae. Callida decora is an exceedingly^ common species in parts 

 of the South, and both larvae and adults destroy the Cotton Worms. . The 

 larvae of this beetle, upon one occasion, according to Mr. Hubbard, were 

 sufiBciently numerous to cause a marked decrease in the number of the 

 worms in certain parts of the field (at Orescent City, Fla ). They cap- 

 tured the young larvae upon the leaves in great quantities, and even 

 successfully attacked grown worms many times their own size and 

 weight. The imago of the beetle not only destroys full-grown worms, 

 but was found eating the chrysalides. 



A number of different Lady-birds (Goccinellidce) are constantly found 

 upon cotton, and their larvae have occasionally been observed to eat the 

 eggs of Aletia. These larvae have also been found to destroy large chrys- 

 alides of other moths while yet soft after the transformation, biting large 

 holes in them and sucking the juices, and will un- 

 doubtedly be found to destroy Aletia pupae in the 

 same way. The small, obscure beetles with floccu- 

 lent or cottony larvae, belonging to the genus Scym- 

 mis, are especially abundant, but they have never 

 T.Syiivd~SXvl!-h^^n. ^^eu Satisfactorily proven to prey upon Aletia in 



pa; c, beetle. (After Eiley. ) g^lj^y g^O^^g^ 



Soldier-beetles (Telephoridce) and "Fire-flies" {Lampyridce) are also 

 quite common on cotton. The beetles are pollinivorous, while the larvae 

 are predaceous, and in several instances have been known to destroj^ 



Aletia. Two full-grown larvae, which 

 we recognize as those of Chaulio- 

 gyiathus americanus^ were found by 

 Mr. Hubbard feeding upon Cotton 

 Worm chrysalides on the leaves. 

 One of these larvae had devoured 

 'FiG.iQ.—chauiiognathusameHcanus:aAaTY3i; oue entire pupa and was engaged 



&, enlarged liead of same; c, d,/, ff, A, moutli parts i.i i x i 



of same; e, leg; i, beetle; a, b, natural size, tlie UpOU another wheu Capturcd. 

 rest enlarged. (After Eiley. ) 



We have also observed, as has also Mr.Patton, the same species feed- 

 ing upon pupae of Aletia in Alabama. In addition to what we have 

 published on the habits and transformations of this beetle (Mo. Ent. 

 Reports, I, p. 57, and IV, p. 28), the following notes by Mr. Hubbard on 

 its earlier life-history are interesting: 



The eggs of Chauliognathus pevsylvanicns, whicli you gave me at Savannah, August 

 4 (my No. 62), hatched during the night of August 9. On August 10 I mounted 

 twelve of the larvsB in balsam (Slide No. 62). I succeeded in feeding them on young 

 aphids from cotton, the bodies of which I crushed. They were very timid, and a,te 

 sparingly. The color is silver .gray, almost white. August 12 the larvae retreated to 

 bottom of earth in the bottle, and curled up in clusters. In two or three hours (10.45 

 a. m.) they had moulted. Their color now changed to a lead coloi, or mouse color. 

 Immediately after moulting they became very active, climbing all over the sides of 

 the jar. I gave them crushed Phora aletia',, and they sucked the juice readily. They 

 attacked the uninjured maggots, but were unable to pierce the skin. I jireserved 

 several in Wickersheim solution (No. 62, B). I gave them, August 15, a species of large, 

 red Ajjhis, found on cockle-burr, but they did not relish them, and ate but little. They 



