1S81,]-; The Relation of Apiculture to Science. 201 
partial to drones. Toads and frogs seem to lap up bees with no 
inconsiderable relish, and often work quite successfully to deplete 
the hives. 2 
Bees have many and formidable foes among insects. In the 
order Hymenoptera, a species of Xylocopa, probably X. wzcans, 
has been observed to kill bees in North Carolina. The cow killer, 
Mutilla coccinea, destroys bees in the States from central Illinois 
to Texas. It has been reported several times that ants are at 
times a serious foe to the honey bee. It is stated that they not 
only worry the bees by invading the hive, but that they sometimes _ 
kill both the queen and workers. 
The only lepidopterous insect which annoys American apiarists 
is the bee-moth, Galleria cereana. And even this is no dread to 
the intelligent apiarist. It is found that strong colonies of bees, 
and no other pay, and especially if Italians, will always defend 
themselves against this enemy. It is only weak or queenless 
colonies that succumb to this foe. 
Among Diptera, Boméylius mexicanus, is reported to enter the 
hives, in Texas, without resistance and lays its eggs, where the 
prospective larvee will be nourished and cared for, without labor 
on the part of the mother fly. The family Asilidz affords the most 
serious dipterous pests to the apiarist. Of these there are at least 
three species of Asilus, two of Mallophora, two of Promachus, two 
of Laphria, and two of Erax, that catch and kill bees. These preda- 
cious flies work the most serious mischief South, but are not 
exempt from blame even as far North as Ontario. A parasitic fly 
of the family Tachinidz is destructive to bees in several of the 
States. 
In importing bees, the bee louse, Braula coeca, has been intro- 
duced from Europe ; but so far it promises to do little harm in 
our country, 
Amongst Heteroptera, Phymata erosa is a dreaded foe of the 
honey bee. From its close mimicry of the flowers of many com- 
posite plants, in which it is wont to hide, it finds it easy to grasp 
the bees with its unique anterior legs, when it soon sucks out their 
life juices. Mantis corolina kills bees from Central Illinois to the 
Gulf. 
Many of the Libellulide, chief among which is Avar juntus, 
are so fierce in their onslaught on bees, that they have been 
termed bee-hawks. These marauders depredate in all become of 
our country, 
