On Certain Seed-Infesting Chalcis-Flies. 385 



In 1870 he states that for some unknown reason the insect had disappeared 

 from the vicinity of London, but he records its presence in injurious 

 numbers at Hamilton, Ont., where it had caused a premature ripening 

 of the fruit. ^° In 1873 he reported its presence in wild grapes at Dubuque, 

 Iowa." 



Aside from the rearing of adults by C. V. Riley" in 1870 from grapes 

 grown in Canada and a concise description of these specimens by L. O. 

 Howard'^ in 1896, apparently nothing further regarding this insect 

 has been published. 



In the fall of 1907 we found the seeds of wild grapes growing in the 

 vicinity of Ithaca, N. Y., badly infested. Some werj brought into the 

 Insectary on November 20th and kept in a jelly-jar. On February 3d 

 five males and on the 17 th three females emerged. 



The larva (Fig. 95) has been described and figured by Saunders. 

 It is 1.8 to 3.9 mm. in length; is nearly cylindrical, bluntly conical behind, 

 rounded in front. It is of a uniform milk-white color with brownish 

 mandibles and a brownish spot at the base of each. The surface is 

 smooth, clothed with a few scattered light brownish hairs more abundant 

 on the anterior end. The mandibles have a single rounded tooth on the 

 inner edge (Fig. 93). The antennas are represented by two minute 

 brownish tubercles. 



The adults reared at Ithaca agree with Howard's description except 

 that they have a greater variation in the amount of infuscation on the 

 posterior legs. 



Oviposition. — Egg-laying was observed on July 11 and 13. At that 

 time the berries were nearly full grown and the seeds quite hard. The 

 females were very abundant; in one case four were seen at one time 

 ovipositing on the same cluster. The female examines the surface of 

 the grape very carefully with the tip of her antennae, then draws the 

 tip of the abdomen forward until the tip of the ovipositor catches in 

 the skin of the fruit; the ovipositor is then disengaged from its sheaths 

 and the abdomen slowly resumes its normal position as the ovipositor 

 penetrates into the berry (Fig. 90). The seeds at this time had become 

 quite hard and were it not for the soft area on the outer surface occupy- 

 ing a depression known as the chalaza the female would .have great 

 difficulty in inserting the egg into the kernel. Figure 91 .shows how 

 the punctures are bunched on the surface over this vulnerable spot. 



*" First Ann. Rept. Insects Ont., p. 44, 187 1. 

 " Rept. Ent. Soc. Ont., for 1S72, p. 14, 1873. 

 -' Second Rept. Ins. Mo., p. 92. 

 » Bull. 2, Tech. Sen, p. 22. 



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