THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



259 



Life History.— The maggots of the fly work within the adult beetles, 

 parasitizing in many instances at least one 

 third of them. The larvce appear about 

 May and continue as late as October ; the 

 first brood pupating for about the first two 

 weeks in June. The adults appear most 

 numerous in July and August — a few no 

 doubt surviving the winter. The period of 

 hibernation is usually spent in the pupal 

 stage. 



Distribution. — Throughout the southern 

 part of the State, being first reported at 

 Los Angeles by Mr. Alexander Craw. 



Hosts. — "Works upon the adults of the 

 western cucumber beetle, Diahrotica soror. 



Fig. 256.- — The diabro- 

 tica parasite, Celatoria 

 diabroticw Shim. (After 

 Coquillett.) 



THE TUSSOCK MOTH TACHINID. 

 Tachina niella Walk. 

 (Fig. 257.) 



General Appearance. — The adult flies appear dark gray in color. 

 The eyes are brown ; face white ; thorax black with dull gray markings ; 



Fig. 257. — The tussock moth tachinid 

 (Tachina mella Wallt.). Male at left and 

 female at right. Slightly enlarged. (Origi- 

 nal.) 



halteres white ; abdomen black with regular gray spots on the sides of 

 the dorsum ; legs and antenna black. The females are three eighths of 

 an inch long and the males considerably smaller, as shown in Figure 257. 



Distribution. — Throughout the entire State. Quite a common 



species. 



Hosts. — This fly preys upon the tussock moth (Hemerocampa vetusta 

 Boisd.), the western apple-tree tent caterpillar {Malacosoma disstria 

 Hubn.) and other species of Malacosoma. 



