. Australian insects. Insects. COLEOPTERA. 207 Family 52. Lady-bird Beetles. COCCINELLIDAE. These well-known beetles differ from the last family' (which many of them resemble in outward appearance) in havini-- 3 jointed tarsi, and the short usually 11 jointed antennae (occasionally 8-10) beins? slightly clubbed at the tips. In their habits however they differ in being- carni- vorous both in the larval and adult state, with the exception of the members of the Genus Epilachna, which are phyto- phagus. They are all small rounded beetles; the short head fits close into the thorax, which in turn re
. Australian insects. Insects. COLEOPTERA. 207 Family 52. Lady-bird Beetles. COCCINELLIDAE. These well-known beetles differ from the last family' (which many of them resemble in outward appearance) in havini-- 3 jointed tarsi, and the short usually 11 jointed antennae (occasionally 8-10) beins? slightly clubbed at the tips. In their habits however they differ in being- carni- vorous both in the larval and adult state, with the exception of the members of the Genus Epilachna, which are phyto- phagus. They are all small rounded beetles; the short head fits close into the thorax, which in turn rests against the front of the elytra: most of them are yellow, spotted or marked with darker yellow, metallic blue or black, and are slightly pubescent. These insects are well known in our gardens to the children as ''lady-birds," and the quaint rhyme of "Fly away lady-bird" is said to have originated in the hop tields of Kent: after the hop picking, the dead plants, where the common English lady-bird was abundant feeding upon the hop aphis, were burnt off, and this was a warning by the children to them to fly away before the fires were Fig. 100.—Epilachna SS-punctata (F^hr.). The Spotted Leaf-eating Lady-bird. ("Agricultural Gazette," ) started. They have been closely studied by economic ento- mologists because they are the natural enemies of so manv aphis and scale insects. Over 2,000 species have been described from all parts of the world, and in the latest list given by Lea (Pro. Linn. Soe. 1901), 110 are recorded from Australia. Mulsanl published his great work (Species Coleopteris Trimeres^ Securipalpes) in 1850: Crotch published his "Kevision of the Coccinellidae" in 1874; in both of these will be found des- criptions of Australian species. Blackburn (Trans. Koyal. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these
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