50 BULLETIN 647, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
observed to pull out so much of it that the thorax of the lady-beetle 
was made completely bare. In spite of this the object of the attack 
was able to escape. At another time several ants were attacking one 
of these larvae at once and each of them pulled out a mass of cotton 
from time to time. It soon was seen that some of them were unable 
to loosen the material from the jaws and were thus kept out of the 
contest. 
The larvae of such species as Coccinella calif omica Coq. and Hip- 
■podamia convergens Guer. rely principally upon immobility, flatten- 
ing out, and their spiny covering for protection. The larva of Rhizo- 
bius ventralis Erichs. depends upon immobility, its natural flatness of 
body, and, in the presence of the black scale, which is its preferred 
food insect, the honeydew from the scales collects in the setae 
on its body and becomes coated with sooty mold, blending to some 
extent with the sooty, sirupy leaf surface. The final emergency 
protection of all these larvae, after having exhausted the defensive 
means of protection, is the so-called " reflex bleeding," or excretion, 
of a poisonous, repellent substance from the glands of the body. 
This occurs whenever the larva is roughly handled or there is danger 
of enemies actually destroying it. 
The adult coccinellids defend themselves principally by flattening 
out, thus presenting the wing covers to the enemy, and by kicking. 
The kick consists of a sharp jerk of the leg by which the ant, threat- 
ening to seize it, is prevented from so doing. The ants often have 
been observed trying to capture adult lady-beetles, but never have 
they been seen to succeed. A single instance will illustrate the 
method of defense : On an orange tree overrun by the ants and also 
harboring numerous lady-beetles {Coccinella calif omica), one of the 
lady-beetles was seen traveling up the trunk in the trail of ants. 
Most of the ants were passing hurriedly by, swerving aside to avoid 
contact with it, but one ant was following and trying to seize one of 
its legs. This ant moved from side to side of the coccinellid, its 
jaws wide open, rushing it whenever there appeared to be an oppor- 
tunity. Every time the ant would attempt to take hold, however, 
the lady-beetle would either give a quick snap of its leg or would 
lower the body on that side. This ant finally was joined by a second, 
and both tried for 10 or 15 minutes, without success, to capture the 
insect. There seems to be evidence that adult coccinellids also some- 
times secrete a repellent fluid in very small amounts when attacked 
by ants, for the ants often back suddenly away on coming into con- 
tact with them. As a last resort adult coccinellids also have recourse 
to " bleeding." which seems capable of repelling many ants at once 
and even much larger enemies. 
