The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-23
RenencinI insects.

Nearly every insect has its enemy. and
one of the recognized methods of fighting
insects at present is to introduce and pro-
pagate the species that prey upon the
others, says the Epitomist. Farmers and
foresters should learn to recognize the par
asitic and predaceous insects and protect
instead of destroy them.
There is comomn in the eastern states
a large, black, active beetle, called the
copper spot beetle, on account of its
markings 1t preys on other insects and
is to them what fox is to birds and small
animals. 1t has large, strong jaws, with
which it seizes and kills every worm or
grub it comes across. This beetle is cas-
ly recognized, and is ont of our friends.
Another useful one is the lady beetle, of
which there are several species. They are
about the shape of the potato beetle, of
which there are several species. They
are about the shape of the potato beetle,
and while some are nearly as large many
of them are considerably smaller They
are a reddish brown color, with black
spots on the wing covers, the number of
spots varying with the species. They feed
upon the eggs and larvae of injurious in
Sects.
There are several insects which lay their
eggs in the flesh of another. so when the
latter goes through its transformation,
instead OF coming out of It's chrysalis a
perfect insect of its species. there APP
pears parasite which has been gnawin g
the Vitals of its host
In the year 1890 the forest tent caterpil-
lar appeared in the greatest numbers ever
known in Maine. / saw in one place a
forest Of over fifty acres with scarcely a
leaf, having been completely defoliated by
These larva. When driving through woods
saw armies of them crossing the road
50 thick that the horses boots and car
rage wheels killed thousands
In the summer, after they went into the
lupd state L gathered number of Co
coons and kept them in a box till they
should have time to change from cater
pIlar 10 a moth. Nearly all of these
Ia oh
80 many of the moths were destroyed by
tnese parasites that they have not been
troublesome since.
Inc lchneumon fly can be easily recog-
hlzed by, its long ovipostor 1t extends
several times the length of the body and l
i naEe seen large specie of ichneumon
tong. Those that destroyed the moths,
LoMeVer, were small species, with an
esg aver less than an inch in length.
-, ne tach1na is a hairy fly a little larger
man a house fly. Some Of them have a
suSht resemblance TO a wasp. They can
66l5 i,,iy be distinguished from them for,
Zig true fly, as they have but two
Wings, while wasp has four.
a Few springs ago / collected a number
~ y; Chiysalides of the vanessa butterfly,
ms IS a brown butterfly, with light yell
low edges to its wings. 1t is the earliest
GHitefhy IN spring, as IL passes the winter
49, lIs perfect state, while most butterflies
ana m N the IN. pupa state during the winter
rItu 40 not come forth till warm weather.
80 ne larvae of the vanessa eat the leaves
in me elm, sometimes completely denud-
7 IS ne tfees. l putTthe chrysalides which
colieSted in glass-topped box, where
~ uId watch them, and, To- one day a
Wy, round hole about the size of a pin
ngtd was gnawed through the shell and
out came small fly As its heels was an
USllef' and after 1t another, and so on till
nuIe lhan a hundred had appeared. They
IN me of a flock Of sheep conn
,ls out OF barn door just large enough
N diIoW one to pass at a time. These little
oii5ck parasites Were what we called CAL
ms lhey belong to the bee and wasp family
ILey lay their eggs in the chrysalis of a
td1,ser insect, and while they destroy one
species
Inese insects are only some of those that
AVE come under my own observation,