15S EXPEEIMENT STATION EECORD. 



S {1912), Nos. 2, pp. 48-51; 3, pp. 97-102; 5, pp. 167-162; 6-7, pp. 214-218; 

 8-9, pp. 284-289'; 11, pp. 354-S57 ; 12, pp. 376-379, figs. 73).— This account 

 includes descriptions of many new genera and species of Itonididse (Ceci- 

 domyiidse). 



On a method of fighting Psila rosae, E. M. Vassiliev {Reprint from Sadovod 

 i Ogorodnik [Kief], 1913, pp. 6; abs. in Rev. Appl. Ent., 1 {1913), Ser. A, No. 11, 

 p. 463).— This circular relates to the carrot fly which occurs in the neighborhood 

 of St. Petersburg and Moscow, and in the Government of Moghilef and Poland. 

 Controlling flies, A. F. Conradi et al. {South Carolina 8ta. Circ. 23 {1913), 

 pp. 14, figs. 6). — This general account, with control measures for the house and 

 stable fly, includes a report of work carried on with traps and sprays during 

 the season of 1913. Laboratory tests in spraying manure shoved that 98 per 

 cent of the maggots were killed in 24 hours with a solution of arsenite of soda 

 4 lbs., molasses 2 qt., and water 50 gal. 



Corn-leaf blotch miner, W. J. Phillips {U. S. Dept. Agr., Jour. Agr. Re- 

 search, 2 {1914), No. 1, pp. 15-31, pis. 5, figs. 6).— While the corn-leaf blotch 

 miner {Agromyza parvicornis) up to the present time has not proved to be a 

 serious pest, mainly because of the large number of parasites that attack it, 

 it is pointed out that considerable injury may be done in their partial absence. 

 In young corn plants and in the small grasses and grains the larvse work from 

 the tip of the leaf toward the base, devouring all of the tissue between the 

 upper and lower epidermis. In small plants the larvae work the entire width 

 of the leaf, leaving only the epidermis of the upper and lower surfaces. Soon 

 after the work is done the leaves have a colorless appearance and in a few 

 days they turn brown and curl up. One larva is said to be sufiicient to de- 

 stroy a young corn leaf although as many as four have been found in a single 

 leaf in the field and as many as eight or ten in a leaf in the rearing cages. 

 When the plants become older and tougher the miners do not devour al4 the 

 tissue between the two leaf surfaces, thus the greatest injury is wrought when 

 the plants are young. If very abundant, however, the larvse could cause serious 

 injury to corn in advanced stages of growth. 



The species seems to show a preference for corn, next to which it prefers the 

 broad hairy-leaved varieties of millet. Occasionally it is found in crab-grass 

 {Panicum sanguinale), and breeds readily in barnyard grass {Echinochloa 

 crus-galli). This leaf-miner has quite a wide range of distribution, having 

 been found as far north as Wisconsin, as far east as Washington, D. C, and 

 New England, as far south as Alabama and Florida, and as far west as Salt 

 Lake City, Utah, as well as in Texas, and probably occurs throughout the United 

 States wherever corn is grown. 



The author presents a technical description of the sereral stages of this 

 insect and a somewhat detailed report of its life history and natural enemies. 

 The incubation period of the egg may be as short as 80 hours in the latter part 

 of July. In midsummer the larvse have been found to obtain full growth in 4 

 days while the pupal stage may be as short as 14 days. From 30 to 60 eggs 

 have been observed to be deposited. Observations show that there are 4 com- 

 l)lete generations and a part of a fifth. la the latitude of La Fayette, Ind., 

 at least, it passes the winter in the puparium onlj'. Brief notes are also given 

 on its life history In Florida based on observations by G. G. Ainslie. 



The author reports that there are 18 species of hymenopterous parasites 

 which attack A. pan^icornis, 3 being braconids and 15 chalcidolds. Of these 

 parasites Derostenus diastatae is by far the most abundant and probably the 

 most important. DiawUnus loehsteri and D. begini have also been reared quite 

 plentifully and are probably next in importance. Notes are presented on the 



