Beneficial Insects. 



We need all the helps we can get in destroying noxious 

 insects, and only those who haye studied their life are 

 aware of the important part the carnivorous insects 

 take in keeping the vegetable-feeding ones in check. 

 And if with the aid of illustrations and descrip- 

 tions we can make the more common ones plain 

 enough to be recognized by the observing farmer and 

 gardener, they will soon learn 

 to know all friends from foes, 

 so that they may protect and 

 encourage these helpers in the 

 work of destroying the pests of 

 the farm and garden. 



The Out-worms are among 

 the most grievous annoyances 

 that the gardener has to contend 

 with, and from their habit of Yig. 164.— caiosoma cAiiDtJM. 

 burrowing in the ground dur- "• ^"^^ > *. Beetle, 



ing the day they often escape the parasitic hymenoptera 

 that fly in the day-time. But they cannot escape the 

 ferocious Lion-beetle (Calosoma calidum), whose main 

 business in life is to hunt and devour them ; a, in figure 

 164, shows the larva ; b, the perfect beetle. This beauti- 

 ful beetle is about an inch in length, and glossy black, 

 with three rows of gold-colored indented dots running 

 along the entire length of the wing-case. These beetles 

 hunt mostly in the night when the Cut-worms have 

 come forth to feed on the tender vegetation, so we most 

 often see our gold spangled Lion on damp, cloudy 

 (283) 



