Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-06-25
The Utility of Enemies OF NOxIous
Insects.

A WRITER in the Lancaster Fdrmer,
when alluding to the natural remedies
for preventing the ravages of the cab
bage- worm, states that it is not known
that birds as a general thing manifest
any partiality for these insects, which is
also the case with poultry in general.
But we have been informed that guinea
fowls are particularly fond of them and
probably would continue to feed upon
them until they had n surfeit of them.
Turkeys, both the adults and the young,
but especially the latter are said to be
fond OF them. Ducks have been in
structed to feed on them, and in some
instances chickens also; and last, per-
haps not least, comes a report that
farmer in the vicinity of Elizabethtown
saved his potatoes last year from de-
struction by permitting flock of tame
geese to enter his inclosure daily, and
these birds became so fond of the in.
sects that they every morning returned
to the feast with renewed Zest. History
says that on one occasion flock of geese
saved ancient Rome from impending
ruin, and if they can now save the potato
crop they will be entitled to a higher
niche in the temple of fame or in historic
record larger page. 1t may be well to
wise to permit fowls of any kind to enter
an inclosure where Paris green or any
other poison has been used.
EntOmOlOgists assure us that there is a
formidable enemy of TIE Colorado
potato-beetle, known as a two-winged
fly Qydella dOryphora), quarter of an
inch in length and half an inch across the
expanded wings, of black and silvery
gray color, the larva of which burrows
into the larva of the potato beetle and
makes 1t an unwilling but certain victim.
This fly deposits its eggs on the soft body
OF the larva of the potato beetle, and
when the eggs are Matched the little
"maggol" penetrates the skin of its host
and ,9eds upon the internal substance of
its body, and continues there, "waxing
tat" and prospering generally. When
the larva of the potato beetle enters the
ground to assume the pupa form it
carries the parasite with it; and, whether
it is able to effect its pupal change or
not it is all the same, for
Death is written in its face,
And sorrows in it dwelling,
and instead of living DoryphOra com
ing forth Lydella rises from its ashes,
to the great joy of the farmer and the
overthrow of one of his most destructive
insect foes.
Then we have at least four species of
lady-birds" the larva of which feed
upon the eggs ofthe potato beetle Almost
| everybody knows what lady-bird is,
but not every one knows its lizard
shaped larva, variously covered with
| pink and black and orange spots, for we
have seen those who were crushing the
! Colorado larva, including these useful
little friends in their list of proscrip-
| tions.
Some years ago, when the Oat-aphis'
! (Aphis aVena) devastated the oat crop
we found this species abundant, regaling
themselves on the soft bodies of the
aphids 1t is now found to be equally
as fond of the egg of the potato beetle
and feasts sumptuously every day" or
them, both in the larva and perfect
state, and, as it undergoes all its trans
formations on the vine, it is always con
yeniently on hand.
The spotted lady'bird (Hippodamia
maculata), color, deep pink and black
This Is one of the most successful hiber-
mating insects that we know of, having
found from 300 to 500 of them in a single
nest, under bark, in early spring. They
are, however, not exclusively cannibal il
their habits, for we have frequentl,
found them abundant on the flowers O
the buttercup" (Ranunculus) feedinI
on the petals, pistils and stamens. Thel
are now known to destroy the egg of tht
potato beetle, and that fact alone il
worth all the butterCups in Christendom
Two other lady.birds Of the same can
nibal habits are known to feed on thesl
eggs-namely the nine-spotted" (Coc
cinella 0notata) and the thirteen,dotted
(Hippodamia 13-punctata), These two
we found numerous in potato fields las
summer. Oh course, applied Paris greer
would be equally as fatal to them as i
is to the Colorado pest, but here no dis
elimination can be made; but many o.
those who depended on hand-pickinJ
crushed both friends and foes together
The "spined soldier-bug" (Arma spi
nosa) belonging to the order Hemiphtera
also feeds extensively upon these potato
pests, and not upon these alone, but alsC
on other noXious insects. Belonging tC
the same order are three other true bug,
which feed on the potato beetle, sucking
out their substance and leaving littl,
more than the empty she'll or skin
namely, the 'bordered soldier-bug no
common in this locality, but furthe
south. The "many-banded rObber" (Har
pector cinctus), the rapacious soldier
bug" (Reducius raptatorius), with whose
penetrating habits we were made &C
quainted many years ago, and a few
others have been known to attack ant
destroy the larva of the potato beetle il
other localities; therefore we may coun
upon their assistance here.
In addition to the foregoing seVera
other species of bugs have been dis
covered performing the same useiu
service. Conspicuously among them |
the " wheelbug" (Revuyius noyenaTius)
which Is not known 10 have heen founl