Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1900-12-13
"YELLoW PERIL" OF INSECTS.
Chameleon Spiders Xiii Butterflies.
Saving Ortunes to Axriculturists.

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Chameleon Spiders Xiii Butternle..
Saving Ortunes to Axriculturists.
No more marvellous chapter in the
story of insect life has ever been writ
ten than that describing the expert.
ments of the chronological department
Ut the Bureau Of Agriculture at Wash
ington--in common language, the de.
partment of "bugology."
How to combat the ravages Of scores
OF insects injurious to man or the
plants he requires for ornament or food
Is the constant study of the bugOlogist
Or entOmOlOgist.
Take, for instance, the chinch bug, a
small bug, only three-twenty-tifths Of
an inch In length, yet he made great
stir In the world some years since. The
amount Of injury done by this insect In
Illinois alone In the year 1864 was esti-
mated at $73,OOO,OOO. But now We sell
dom hear Of it.
The chinch bug went out Of business
after the bugologists got their micro
scopes on him, and learned that he was
infested by small parasite which was
not only harmless, but was readily cul-
tlvated In such numbers as to destroy
the host, as an infected animal or plant
Is called
1t Is such a relief as one sees the me-
tallic glitter Of the wings of our friend,
the dragon fly, mosquito hawk" or
doctor tn no Ia
avenging US in part for the sting and
song of the mosquito.
But among all the forms recently ex-
permented with, none Is Of such alb
sorbins Interest as a certain chameleon
spider, ever changing color. 1t is hoped
that he can be multiplied to the point
OF destroying certain moths and butter
flies whose ravages in the larval stage
are the plaques of the gardener and the
florist.
The new spider Is unusual. 1t is like
~. though fully third Of an inch in
length, that thousands Of people who
have lived in the country their whole
lives have never seen single one. For
the color Of this animal is the means Of
securing it's food, it being poor web
spinner, and hence compelled to lie in
wait for its prey.
Its entire body is n beautiful creamy
golden yellow in color, the exact shade
OF the yellow petals Of the "black-eyed
daisy
Sitting between the petals Of the
daisy. this enemy incarnate Of the but
tertly kind will rarely be noticed, look
In as 1t does like petal curled up and
motionless. absolutely the color of the
flower in all except the tiny red claws
at the end of it's outstretched arms.
But presently a butterfly comes lazily
fitting along and apparently alights
upon the flower, and appears to remain
resting. II the observer was una aware
Of the presence Of this yellow peril"
he will have noticed nothing unusual.
For the butterfly, often Of large size,
remains locked motionless In the en-
brace Of those yellow arms, whose red
claws have given the death stroke
quicker than the eye can follow.
AS these spiders are always hungry,
and consume large numbers of butter
flics of injurious species, 1t will at once
be seen how increasing their number
will be practical method of getting
rid of the latter, the spiders being abso-
lutely harmless to plants Of any kind.
In many species the female Is the
larger and more powerful Of the two,
and frequently mains or even kills and
eats her suitOrs.
In one case the female kept swapping
at the legs Of her sutton, occasionally
swapping of one when the latter got too
close. But he, ardent and forgiving
lover, persisted until he had lost four
of his eight legs. when he was at last
accepted.-New York Journal