The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-07-18
AGRICULTURAL.
Il he Natural Enemies of the Colorado Po-
tdtO eetIe

Although we recommend every one who
mas an acre or less of potatoes to buy and
study Riley's "Potato Pests" yet there are
some who will do nothing of the kind, and it
is for the benefit of those that these few selec-
tions are made from that work, that farmers
may not through ignorance kill their best
friends.
Several birds are known to feed upon both
beetles and Larvae. Among these is the crow,
which not only takes the beetle from the pc.
tato vines, but late in the season digs into the
earth in search of the alternating individuals.
The common quail, too, performs
the same service for us. Of late it has been
noticed, especially in the West, that the rose
breasted grosbeak has taken TO feeding largely
upon these beetles and as a natural conse-
quence that species of bird has increased
largely and become quite common. This is
beautiful and conspicuous bird, the male hav-
ing heavy bill, with black head, black back
varied with brown, and black wings, the lat
ter with three white bands. Some of the out.
er tail-feathers and parts of the abdomen are
white and the breast is rose-red.
Or late, chickens have commenced feeding
upon them, and instances have been reported
where from 80 to 40 beetles have been found
In the crop of single chicken, and this not
from lack OF other food, but from preference.
Among other animals, the skunk, common
eooo duu bidCh oudh6 lieu upUu hIuUUS
the spiders, the well known "Grand-daddy
long legs devours many of them. There are
two parasites or mites that feed upon them,
and whenever beetle Is seen whose back is
covered with these minute yellowish brown
insects that beetle should not be killed, but
left to afford food to these little creatures who
will certainly kill it In the end, whereas if the
beetle were killed these parasites would be
Killed with it. Among the insects proper,
which fald fba fho rod
cial wasp, whose small gray, paper-like nests
are so common with us in the spring, six va
reties of lady-birds, the tiger beetles, the sol
dier bugs and the tachina fly. This last close
lyresembles the common house fly, but differs
from 1t in having an extremely brilliant silver
white face. This fly lays an egg on the body
OF the potato beetle larvae. This egg matches
into maggot which burrows into the body
of the larvae, and eventually destroys it. This
lily has sometimes been so abundant in west
ern potato fields that its buzzing resembled
the noise made by swarm of bees.
The larvae of lady.bird bears strong re.
semblance TO each other. That of the con-
vergent lady-bird is about half an inch long,
covered with spines, and its color is blue,
orange and black. That of the fifteen spotted
lady-brdl lis little larger, yet black and spined.
1t has pale yellow stripe on each side inter-
cepted with bright orange spots, and there is
ss'S0 &n oAohSO opob Ou Vic UdCh vi Gu0 Adt-
tened first joint. 1t is the larvae of the lady
birds that prey upon the eggs and larvae Of
the potato beetle. The pupa of the CONVEX
gent lady-bird is of the exact color of the lar
vac of the potato beetle, and is doubtless often
mistaken for that larvae and ruthlessly de-
stroyed. 1t may be readily distinguished,
however, by its perfect repose. Let every po-
tato grower learn well to recognize it and
spare its life. The eggs of the lady-birds great
IV rpanmhlQ fh0co of tho mi of IN hoofla nd oro
scarcely dstinguishable except by their small
Ter size and by much smaller number being
usually deposited in single group. As these
eggs are often laid in the same situation as
the Doryphora, the farmer should learn not
to confound those of his best friends with
those of his bitter enemies. A practsed eye
soon discriminates between them, and it is
often on such minute distinctions that we
must distinguish between friend and foe.
Hon eSfpGd