Insects Affecting the Straicberry. 



51 



in its ravages as the leaf-roller and some of the various beetle larvae affecting 

 the root and crown. It is, however, to be placed among strawberry insects 

 of the first class. It has occurred in great numbers throughout Central and 

 Northern Illinois, Missouri and Iowa, and as far east as Ontario, Canada. 

 Prof. Riley's terse description, given in his ninth report as State Entomolo- 



Fig. 1. Strawberry Worm {Emphi/tus mnculatus, Nortoti): 1. Ventral view of pupa; 2. Side 

 Tiew of same ; 3. Enlarged sketch of perfect fly, the wings on one side detached ; 4, Larva 

 crawling, natural size; 5. Perfect fly, natural size ; 6. Larva at rest; 7. Cocoon; 8. Enlarged 

 antenna, showing joints ; 9. Enlarged egg. After Riley. 



gist of Missouri, can scarcely be improved upon, and I quote the substance 

 of it in his own words : 



"Early in spring numerous flies may be seen hanging to and flying about 

 the vines, in fields which have been previously infested. They are dull and 

 inactive in the cool of the evening and at these hours are seldom noticed. 

 They are of a pitchy black color, with two rows of large, transverse, dull 

 whitish spots upon the abdomen. The female, with the saw-like instrument 

 peculiar to the insects of this family, deposits her eggs by a most curious and 

 interesting process, in the stems of the plant, clinging the while to the hairy 

 substance by which these stems are covered. The eggs are white, opaque, and 

 .03 of an inch long, and may be readily perceived upon splitting the stalk, 

 though the outside orifice at which they were introduced is scarcely visible. 

 They soon increase somewhat in bulk, causing a swelling of the stalk, and 

 hatch in two weeks — more or less according to the temperature— and during 

 the early part of May the worms attract attention by the innumerable small 

 holes they make in the leaves. Their colors are dirty yellow and gray-green, 

 and when not feeding they rest on the under side of the leaf, curled up in a 

 spiral manner, the tail occupying the center, and fall to the ground at the 

 slightest disturbance. After changing their skin four times they become fully 

 grown, when they measure about three-fourths of an inch. At this season 

 they descend into the ground, and form a very weak cocoon of earth, the 



