THE FALL WEB-WOIiM. 





under loose bark. Both spiders are wonderfully acive. and kill large 

 numbers of caterpillars. Their large flat egg masses can be found dur- 

 ing the winter under dead bark and in cracks. Both .species hibernate 

 in silken nests in similar localities." 



PEEDACEOUS INSECT ENEM1 



The caterpillar? of this moth have quite a number of external ene- 

 mies, which slay large numbers of them. The well-known Bear-horse 

 (Mantis Carolina, see Fig. 20) seems to be very fond of the caterpillars. 



FlG. 20. — Mantis Carolina: a. female; b. male. 



The so-called Wheel-bog (Prionidus cristate*, see Fig. 16) has proved to be 

 one of our best friends in reducing the numbers of the caterpillars. This 



insect was formerly by no means very common in cities, but of late j 

 it has greatly increased in numbers, and is now a well-known feature in 

 all our public parks and such streets as possess shade-trees. Outside 

 of the city it is rarely met with ; nor does it extend much farther north 

 than Washington. It is, like the Mantis, in all its Btages a voracious 

 feeder upon insects, slaying alike beneficial and noxious ones. The 

 bright red larvae and pupa 1 , also carnivorous, are seen in numbers dur- 

 ing the summer; they usually remain together until hunger f< 

 them to scatter. The\ assist each other in killing larger game, and are 

 to this extent social. The Wheel-bug could be observed almost any- 

 where last summer, usually motionless, stationed upon the trunk of 

 trees, waiting for the approach ^\' an insect. It' 01. e comes near, it 

 quite leisurely inserts its very poisonous beak, and sucks the life-blood 

 of its victim. When this becomes empty it is hoisted up in the aii. a> 

 if to facilitate the flow of blood, until eventually it is thrown away as 

 a mere shriveled skin. The appetite of the Win el-bug is remarkable, 

 whenever chances offer to appease it to the fullest extent. Frequently, 



