. Nature study and life. Nature study. 254 NATURE STUDY AND LIFE By far the favorite hosts of these flies are the leaf-eating cater- pillars and the numbers destroyed in a single season by these para- sites is quite beyond computation. I have seen vast armies of the army-worm, comprising unquestionaljly millions of individuals, and have been unaiile to find a single specimen which did not bear the characteristic eggs of a tachina fiy. These flies were present in such numbers that their buzzing, as they flew over the army of caterpillars, could be heard at some distance and the farmers were unn
. Nature study and life. Nature study. 254 NATURE STUDY AND LIFE By far the favorite hosts of these flies are the leaf-eating cater- pillars and the numbers destroyed in a single season by these para- sites is quite beyond computation. I have seen vast armies of the army-worm, comprising unquestionaljly millions of individuals, and have been unaiile to find a single specimen which did not bear the characteristic eggs of a tachina fiy. These flies were present in such numbers that their buzzing, as they flew over the army of caterpillars, could be heard at some distance and the farmers were unnecessarily alarmed since they conceived the idea that the flies were the parents of the caterpillars and were flying everywhere and laying their eggs in the grass and wheat. As a matter of fact, one great outbreal: of the army-worm in northern Alabama, in the early summer of 1881, was completely frustrated by the tachina flies, aided by a few other parasites and predatory insects. L. O. Howard, The Insect Book, p. Fig. 10. Ladv Beetles Larva, pup^e, and adults of several species Valuable shade trees are sometimes cut because they are infested with caterpillars for two or three years in succession. Of course trees may be killed by being stripped of their leaves repeatedly ; but frequently the year after the pests seem to have become unendurable there may be scarcely one in the whole neighborhood, all but a few having been killed by increase of their natural enemies. Lady Beetles, Ladybirds, or Ladybugs. — These insects are too familiar to require description. We may bring one to class in a vial and let the children learn their next day's nature-study lesson by observing what the lady beetles are doing. A branch of apple or cherry covered with. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Hodge, Cli
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectnatures, bookyear1902
