Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-06-07
The Natural Enemies Of the Colorado
Potato Beetle.

Although we recommend every one who
has 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 Sc
lections are made from that work, that far
mers may not through ignorance kill their
best friends.
Several birds are known to feed upon both
beetle and laryp. Among these is the crow,
which not only takes the beetle from the po-
tato vines, but late in the season digs into the
earth in search of the alternating individ-
uals. The common quail, too, performs the
same service for us OF late it has been no.
ticed. especially in the West, that the rose
breasted grosbeak has taken to feeding large
ly upon these beetles, and as natural couse-
quence that species of bird has increased
largely and become quite common. This is
beautiful and conspicuous bird, the male hav-
ing a heavy bill, with black head black back
varied with brown and black wings, the latter
with three white bands Some of the outer
tail-feathers and parts of the abdomen are
white and the breast is rose-red
OF late chickens have commenced feeding
upon them, and instances have been reported
where from 80 to 10 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
toad and black snake feed upon them. Among
the SPIDERS the well-known 'Grand-daddy
Long-legs deyours many of them. There are
two parasites 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 feed on the beetle are the rust-red So
cial wasp, whose small gray, paper-like nests
are so common with us in the spring, six va
rieties of lady birds, the tiger beetles the sol
der bugs and the tachina fly. This last close
ly resembles the common house fly, but diff
fers from it in having an extremely brilliant
slver-white face. This fly lays AN egg on the
body of the potato beetle Larvae. This egg
matches into II maggot which burrows into the
body of the larva, and eventually destroys it.
This fly has sometimes been so abundant in
western potato fields that its buzzing resem.
bled the noise made by swarm of bees.
The Larvae of lady-birds bear strong re
semblance' to each other. That of the con
vergent ludy-bird is about half an inch lonl
covered with spines, and its color is blue, or
ange and black That of the iifteen-spotteC
Lady -bird is little larger, yet black and spin
ed. 1t has Il pale yellow stripe on each sid
intercepted with bright orange spots, anC
there is also IN orange spot ON the back o.
the .lattened first joint 1t is the larvae of tn
lady-birds that prey upon the eggs and larvu
of the potato beetle. The pupa of the con
vergent lady bird is of the exact color Of tn
larya of the potato beetle, and is doubles
often mistaken for that larva and rutlessl,
destroyed. 1t may be readily distinguished
however, by its perfect repose. Let every pc
tato grower learn well to recognize it ant
spare its life. The eggs of the lady-bird
greatly resemble those of the potato beetl
and are scarcely distinguishable except b.
their smaller size and by much smaller mum
Der being usually deposited in a single group
Az these eggs are often laid in the same stu
alton rs those of the Doryphora, the farme
should learn not to confound those Of his hes
friends with those of his bitter enemies.
practiced eye soon discrimnates betwee
them, and it is often on such minute distinC
tions that we must distinguish between frien
and foe-N Il. HOmostedd