Clje Cannritaii |lntomolu0bl. 



Vol. XLIX. LONDON, OCTOBER. 1917 No. 10 



POPULAR AND PRACTICAL ENTOMOLOGY. 



The Apple Maggot ix British Columbia. 



by r. c. treherxe, field officer, entomological branch, 

 dominion department of agriculture. 



Two adult flies of the Apple Maggot or Railroad Worm, 

 (Rhagoletis 'pomonella Walsh) were taken at Penticton, B.C., by 

 the author on July 26th, 1916. Inasmuch as this record constitutes ^ 

 the first of its kind for the Province of British Columbia, and 

 exists practically as an original record for the Pacific Coast of 

 North America, it is of interest and of importance. I am indebted 

 to Dr. J. M. Aldrich for his final determination of the species. 



On July 26th, 1916, while visiting the orchards in the flat 

 land lying between Okanagan Lake and Dog Lake, at a point about 

 two miles south of Penticton, B.C., I was attracted by the appear- 

 ance of some trees suft'ering from a pathological trouble (Baldwin 

 Spot). While standing among the trees in the orchard I noted 

 an adulj; Trypetid fly settle on a leaf. The specimen was captured 

 in a hand net, and examination showed a strange resemblance to 

 the Apple Maggot (R. pomonella). I was so struck by the re- 

 semblance that I endeavored to find other specimens. After an 

 hour's search I was only rewarded by capturing a second adult. 



The flies were later referred to Dr. C. Gordon Hewitt, who 

 concurred as to their identity, but who suggested that they be for- 

 warded to Dr. Aldrich for final determination. Dr. Aldrich duly 

 certified to the fact that the specimens were adults of the Apple 

 ■Maggot, R. pomonella. 



The variet\' of apple tree upon which the flies were taken was. 

 the Red Astrachan variety, but examination of its fruits and the 

 fruits of other early \-arieties in the vicinity, on July 26th and on a 

 subsequent occasion in August, revealed no definite sign of larval 



