AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
145 
The Spotted Squash Bug. 
(Coccmella borealis.) 
There is a large family of insects of the order 
Beetles, ( Coleoptera ), called Coccinellithz, which 
has a very wide geographical range, 
being familiar to the farmer as well 
as 10 the entomologist, in this coun¬ 
try and in Europe. Their common 
names are Lady-bug, Lady-cow, La- 
dy bx.d. There are many different 
species in this family, varying in 
theii size and color. Some are of a 
dark or black color, with yellow or 
red spots; others have a yellow or 
red ground, with black spots. Some 
have only two spots, while others 
have twenty or more. This family, 
with few exceptions, are insectivor¬ 
ous—that is, feeds upon insects; in¬ 
deed, until recently, entomologists 
have given the entire family of Coc- 
cinellidae the credit of beir.j; our 
friends and aids in diminishing the 
number of destructive insects, such 
as Aphids, or Plant-lice. The culti¬ 
vator may therefore be perplexed, by finding that 
Harris, and other writers, urge us to spare the 
Lady-birds, while the evidences of the injury pro¬ 
duced by a disreputable member of this worthy 
family are unmistakeable. 
The accompanying cuts, Figs. 1 and 2, give a 
vertical and side view of the Coccinclla borealis, 
which to some of our readers will be entirely fa¬ 
miliar, while others may never have seen it. In 
some localities in New' Jersey, New York and 
eyes arranged in rows ; c c are the antennas; d 
the mandibles or forceps with which it cuts its 
food; c e are movable jointed organs of the 
mouth, which serve as fingers or feelers, and are 
called Palpi. 
Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig. 3. 
Figs. 1 and 2—The Coccinella borealis, or Lady-bird. 
Fig. 3—The same insect in the larva or worm state. 
Connecticut, it has been a very troublesome visi¬ 
tor, entirelv destroying the foliage of the squash 
vine, even after the plant has reached a large size, 
and is in full bearing. 
In no work have I been able to find any men¬ 
tion of this insect, except in Dr. Emerson’s excel¬ 
lent “ American Farmer’s Encyclopedia and 
even there in the description accompanying the 
figure, it is said to be insectivorous ; but under the 
head of “ Sauash-bug,” the true habit of the in¬ 
sect is Fiven, with the name of “ Coccinella bore¬ 
alis." 
As >n several respects its habits are interesting 
and peculiar, I will give the result of a few ob¬ 
servations, made during the Summer of 1856. 
'1 he form of the perfect insect is nearly that of 
a hemisphere. Like all beetles, it possesses horny 
wine-cases, which, when closed, cover a pair of 
folded membraneous wings. Its legs are yellow, 
quite short, being scarcely seen when looking at it 
from above. The head is very small, as compared 
to the body, and is so covered by the thorax as to 
(ig. 4 —A magnified view of the head of the Coccinella. 
be almost invisible. Fig.4 gives a greatly magnified 
view of the head and the thorax, the latter cover¬ 
ing the former like a hood, a is the thorax, on 
which are several spots ; 6 b are the eyes, which 
a T e e«moound, or formed of a number of smaller 
Fig. 5— a, a. The larva feeding within the circle, b, An insect 
which preys upon the larva, c Size of the larva when first 
hatched. 
The color is a dull yellow of uniform shade, 
but having on the thorax and wing-cases, nineteen 
black spots, (counting as two each those which 
are divided by the suture of the wing). It is 
first seen early in June as a perfect insect, feeding 
in the day-time upon the upper surface of the leaf. 
It has a singular habit which I have noticed in no 
other insect. In feeding, its first act is to mark 
out with its foreceps a circle or semicircle, some¬ 
times of great regularity, inclosing the portion of 
the leaf upon which it is about to feed. The 
leaf is then eaten within this mark, and nowhere 
else. The larva, or worm, observes the same 
habit of marking out its pasture ground, as seen 
in Fig. 5, a. The insect is not quick in its move¬ 
ments, and does not readily take wing, but when 
disturbed, draws its legs and antennae under its 
body and falls to the ground Shortly after its first 
appearance it is found in pairs, and soon after 
commences to deposit its eggs. These eggs are 
placed in irregular groups on the under side of 
the leaf. When first hatched, the young larva, 
Fig. 5, c, is very small, of a chrome yellow, and 
armed, even at this early period, with thornlike 
spines. One of these spines, magnified in Fig. 6, 
shows the formidable character of this natural de¬ 
fence. These larvae eat voraciously, and grow 
rapidly, casting their skins several times. A 
magnified view of the larva is given in Fig. 7. 
They have six true legs, and use 
the tail, or posterior extremity in 
walking, as a seventh leg. After 
attaining the size represented in 
Fig. 3, they crawl to some shel¬ 
tered spot on the under side of 
the leaf, or upon the stem, and 
fasten themselves securely for the 
change to a pupa or chrysalis, the 
pupa case being the thorny skin of Fig 6 _ Magni . 
the larva. Remaining in this dor- fied view of a 
mant state something over a week, Spoteofthe young 
it then emerges as a perfect in- larva - 
sect, and if not too late in the season, recom¬ 
mences the propagation of its species. It may be 
found upon the squash vine, of all ages at once, 
from the first of July to the middle of October, 
showing that many successive broods are hatched 
irregularly through the Summer. In Fig. 5, b, is 
represented an insect, which in several instan¬ 
ces I have found preying upon the larva of the 
Coccinella, by inserting its proboscis in the body 
of the latter, and sucking out its contents. On 
being disturbed, it carried off the larva elevated 
on the end of its sucker. This insect destroyer 
must not be mistaken for another squash bug of 
similar shape, but larger, which is exceedingly de¬ 
structive to this plant. 
Fig, 7—Magnified view of the larva. 
The only remedy which I have found effective 
to prevent the injury from the Coccinella is hand¬ 
picking. Lime, dusted upon the leaf while wet 
with rain or dew is some assistance, but will not 
be in itself sufficient. A small basin, or cup 
filled with strong brine, to brush the insects into, 
can be used advantageously ; and remember that 
one hour spent in this work when the insect first 
appears, and before its eggs are laid, will be of 
more service than many hours after that time. 
A. O. Moore, in Country Gentleman. 
“ A Bloom of Beauty.” 
Though we treasure and value them, we should 
hardly dare to copy one in a thousand ofthe com¬ 
plimentary sayings of our cotemporaries, respect¬ 
ing the Agriculturist, lest our readers should think 
us gratifying our own vanity at the expense of 
space belonging to them. But the following we 
must transfer here to have opportunity to recipro¬ 
cate the sentiment ofthe closing paragraph. The 
Well-Spring. Edited by Rev. Asa Bullard, and 
published weekly by the Mass. Sabbath School 
Society, is a beautiful “child’s paper,” and is in¬ 
deed scattering good seed wherever it goes. In 
the number for March 26, under the caption of 
“A Bloom of Beauty,” the Well-Spring says: 
The Editor of the American Agriculturist of 
New-York, a few months ago, offered a premium 
of a few choice “ field, garden, or flower seeds,” 
to all his numerous subscribers, and also to those 
who would procure new subscribers. The list of 
seeds contains 51 different varieties—of which 
thirty are flower seeds. 
What perfume, and beauty, and waving fields 
of grain and fruit, will these seeds cause to spring 
up, by-and-by, around some 40,000 or 50,000 dwel¬ 
lings all through our land ! What a bloom of beauty 
those flowers would present, could they all be col¬ 
lected together in one immense garden ! Is not 
this a pleasant device of the Agriculturist to spread 
fragrance, and beauty, and luscious fruits, over 
the land! 
And if our little paper, ‘ The Well-Spring,’ scat¬ 
ters g od seed wherever it goes—as we trust it 
does—what a glorious array of the ‘ plants of 
righteousness,' are everywhere springing forth, 
converting many a Sabbath school and family gar¬ 
den into the ‘ garden of the Lord.’ ” 
---- -- 
An idler boasted to a farmer of his ancient fami¬ 
ly, laying much stress upon his having descended 
from an illustrious man who lived several gener¬ 
ations ago. “ So much the worse for you,” replied 
the farmer, “ for we find the older the seed the 
poorer the crop.” 
A Grecian sage was asked, why philosophers 
ran after rich men, while rich men seldom courted 
philosophers. He replied, because the latter 
know they want money, but the former fail to 
perceive that they need wisdom 
