

















196 THE PARASITES OF THE HONEY-BEE. 
devour the contents of the egg of the victim. Others, 
this is the most common mode of parasitism, attack 
insect in its larva state; others in the pupa state, and 
others in the perfect, or imago state. Dr. Leidy 
shown that of the wood-devouring species, a beetle, Pas 
lus cornutus, and some Myriapods, or “thousand legs,” 
in some cases, tenanted by myriads of microscopic pla 
and worms which luxuriate in the alimentary canal, while 
the “caterpillar-fungus” attacks sickly caterpillars, fill 
out their bodies, and sending out shoots into the air, so t 
the insect looks as if transformed into a vegetable. | : 
The Ichneumon flies, of which there are undoubtedly seven! 
thousand species in this country, are the most common ins 
parasites. Their habits are noticed in the Narurauist, Vol 
p. 81. Next to these are the different species of Tachinas 
its allied genera. These, like Ichneumons, live in thè hodi : 
of their hosts, consuming the fatty parts, and finishing | 
transformations just as the exhausted host is ready to : 
issue from their bodies as flies, closely resembling the €o 
mon house-fly. a 
An insect, allied to the Tachina, has been found in Eur 
to be the most formidable foe of the hive-bee, someull 
producing the well-known disease called “foul-brood,” bas 
is analogous to the typhus fever of man. ` 
This fly, belonging to the genus Phora (Plate4, fig. 1 
incrassata ; Fig. 2, larva; Fig.3, puparium), is a smal] ms 
about one line and a half long, and found in Europe © 
the summer and autumn flying slowly about flowers and 
dows, and in the vicinity of bee-hives. Its white, tri 
rent larva is cylindrical, a little pointed before, but Pr 
behind. The head is small and rounded, with short f 
Jointed antenne, and at the posterior end of the gia 
several slender spines. The puparium, or pupa-case 
ing the delicate chrysalis, is oval, consisting of ê 
ments, flattened above and with two large spines 
neat 
head, and four on the extremity of the body. - 
