io First Report on Economic Zoology. 
doing in the case of mangolds in this country in districts where the 
beetle occurs in large numbers. 
If the land is in good heart maize may be put in in the place 
of the mangolds that have been destroyed. The beetles would 
probably leave this plant alone, if they are not all destroyed by deep 
ploughing. 
This is not an uncommon pest, but is not reported very often 
on account of the damage being attributed to other causes, such as 
ants, etc., the beetles, owing to their small size, being either not 
observed or if observed mistaken for ants. 
Black Fly on Mangold. 
{Aphis atriplicis , Linn.) 
Some insects attacking the seed heads of the mangold were sent 
to the Board of Agriculture from Childerley Hall, Cambridge ; they 
were one of the Aphides known as Aphis atriplicis, Linn. This 
species feeds normally on the Chenopodiums in the summer and on 
the common Orache {Atriplex patula) in the autumn. 
The apterous females are of various colours, green, olive green, 
black. Buckton describes four distinct varieties : (1) wholly black, 
(2) black with orange tibiae and white patches on the body, (3) body 
green with white bands, legs ochreous or whitish, (4) head and 
thorax black, abdomen green with white spots. The pupal stage is 
black with white patches, thorax and wing cases olive. The winged 
female that produces living young is dark olive, the abdomen barred 
with black and with lateral spots ; the honey tubes are green at the 
base and black at the apex ; the legs are yellowish except the hind 
femora and tips of the other femora. The male is wingless and of a 
greenish-yellow colour, head black, thorax with black markings ; 
the abdomen has three longitudinal rows of black spots forming 
almost bands on the apical part. Legs, and cornicles dull grey. 
The oviparous female is also apterous and green, the head having 
two dark spots. 
The Life-history. 
Little is known concerning its life-history. The females of the 
last generation lay their eggs on the dead rolled up leaves of the 
plants upon which they have been feeding, amongst their debris 
formed of cast skins, frass, etc. The ova are elongated oval, yellow 
at first, and gradually become black. These eggs are laid in the 
autumn after the apterous males have appeared and fertilised the 
