38 BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA AFFECTING FRUIT INDUSTRY. 
horsefly (Tabanide) were the only ones identified. Grasshoppers and 
crickets are not extensively eaten by the phoebe. They amount to 
about 24 percent for the year, being eaten rather irregularly; five 
months show none at all. The greatest consumption was in April, 
nearly 8 percent. 
Moths and caterpillars are sitet to the extent of 8 percent. They 
were found in 72 stomachs—moths in 38, caterpillars in 32, and both 
in 2. A few unidentified insects and several miscellaneous ones, 
principally dragonflies, with some spiders, make up the rest of the 
animal food, 6 percent. Dragonflies are taken quite frequently, but 
generally in no great numbers. One stomach was entirely filled with 
them, and several were nearly so. The fact is, these insects are so 
large that often a single one fills a phoebe’s stomach. These insects 
are too strong and agile upon the wing to be captured by anything less 
expert than a flycatcher, and in the few instances where they appear in 
other birds’ stomachs they were probably. found dead. The spiders 
eaten by the phoebe are perhaps snapped from the tops of weeds as 
the bird flies over, or taken from the web. While quite frequently 
eaten, they form only a small percentage of the diet. 
The following is a list of insects identified in the stomachs of the 
black phoebe: 
COLEOPTERA. 
Elaphrus riparius. Carpophilus hemipterus. 
Triexna longula. Heterocerus tristis. 
Bradycellus rupestris. 
Laccobius ellipticus. 
Philonthus pubes. 
Hippodamia convergens. 
Coccinella transversoguttata. 
Coccinella californica. 
Chilocorus orbus. 
Cryptorhopalum apicale. 
Hister bimaculatus. 
Saprinus obscurus. 
Saprinus lugens. 
Saprinus lubricus. 
Hygrotrechus sp. 
Canthon sp. 
Aphodius granarius. 
Aphodius vittatus. 
Aphodius ungulatus. 
Amphicoma ursina. 
Gastroidea sp. 
Lina scripta. 
Diabrotica soror. 
Blapstinus pulverulentus. 
Corphyra sp. 
Notoxus alamedzx. 
HEMIPTERA. 
Largus succinctus. 
In addition to the above species the following families of Hemiptera 
were identified: 
Giant water bugs (Belostomatide). 
Creeping water bugs (Naucoride). 
Chinch-bug family (Lygzeide). 
Stink bugs (Pentatomide). 
Broad-shouldered water striders (Veliide). Leathoppers (Jassidee). 
Water striders (Iydrobatide). 
Assassin bugs (Reduviidw). 
Leaf bugs (Capsidix). 
Red bugs (Pyrrhocoride), 
Tree hoppers (Membracide). 
Jumping plant lice (Psyllide). 
Plant lice (Aphidide). 
