INSECT FRIENDS. 



505 



No. 7. 



THE LACE-WINGED FLY. 



1. The Lace winged Fly. .'. The Eggs. 

 3 and 4. The Grubs. 5 an:l 6. The Chrysalis. 



colour, the chrysalides being pear-shaped and of a brownish colour. They are formed on 

 the stems where the grubs have fed. 



The Lace-winged or Golden-eyed fly (Chrysopa perla), though not so common as 

 the lady-birds, is by no means unusual, and their grubs, as well as those of some nearly 



allied species, destroy an enormous number of 

 aphides. The parent insects have small slender 

 bodies, and two pairs of large pale green gauze- 

 like wings, which measure about i|in. from tip 

 to tip when open. The eyes are prominent, and 

 of a very brilliant golden colour. Notwithstanding 

 the size of their wings, these insects fly very 

 slowly and in a fluttering manner, so that they 

 are an easy prey to their enemies. They are 

 protected, however, to some extent by having the 

 power of emitting a most disgusting smell when 

 touched ; the eggs are very beautiful and curious, and are often mistaken for fungi or the 

 seed-vessel of a moss, as each is perched on the top of a long stalk sometimes iin. in 

 length. These eggs are laid in a cluster of a dozen or so together. The female, when 

 about to lay an egg, probably touches the leaf or stem with the end of her body, and, 

 exuding some sticky substance, raises the end of her body in the air, and so draws out a 

 fine thread, which soon dries, and on the top of which an egg is placed. It is supposed 

 that the object of this peculiarity in the position of the eggs is to prevent injury when amongst 

 a crowd of aphides. The ^rubs are somewhat like those of the lady-bird in shape, being, 

 when full grown, about fin. in length, and of a dirty white or pale brown colour, 

 with brownish or orange spots. There is a row of tufts of hair on either side of the 

 body ; the grubs of some species cover themselves with the dead bodies of their prey, 

 or with bits of lichen. Their chrysalides are small white cocoons, about the size of a small flea. 



Lady-birds (Coccinella septempunetata and C. bi-punctata). The grubs of these 

 insects are most useful in destroying aphides. The parent insects are too well known 

 to require any description, as every one is No. 6. 



familiar with the seven-spotted and the two- 

 spotted lady-birds ; the grubs are known in 

 hop gardens as "Niggers." They are flatfish, 

 of a leaden grev colour, and ornamented with 

 black and yellow spots ; the grubs of both 

 species are very much alike, but those of the 

 two-spotted species are considerably smaller than 

 those of the other, being not more than Jin. 

 in length. It is unfortunate that when destroying 

 aphides on a plant by means of an insecticide 

 it is impossible to help killing useful insects 

 at the same time, but if noticed they should 



always be removed before a plant is syringed. It is a pity that all the friends of 

 gardener are not as well known as the pretty lady-bird, which every child is taught not 

 to crush, but to preserve because it is not harmful. There is a sad want of knowledge 

 of the friends and foes of the gardener. Everything that is an insect is considered an 

 enemy and treated accordingly, with the result that many things are exterminated which 

 are actually of great benefit to our crops. We hope that these few notes about the friends 

 will do much towards promoting a better knowledge. The excellent illustrations which 

 accompany these articles are reproduced by permission from the leaflets issued by the Board 

 of Agriculture and from "Curtis' Farm Insects," published by Gurney and Jackson. 



LADY-BIRDS. 



1 and 2. Eggs (nat. size and mag J] 

 3 and 4. Grub ,, 



- and 5. Two-spotted Lady bird and Chrysalis. 

 9 and 6. Seven-spotted Lady bird ant Chry alis. 



the 



