308 The Wheat Midge. 



process of growth goes on, and some time after, on opening the- 

 leathery maggot skin, now a piiparium, you find the pupa so far 

 advanced that some of the members of the future fly are discernible 

 through the scarf, which envelopes and fetters it on all sides. 

 Within this shell, (the flax-seed case,) the pupa gradually advan- 

 ces to the winged state, until the end of April or beginning of May, 

 when the flies make their escape by breaking through one end of 

 the shell. The body of the Hessian Fly measures about the tenth 

 of an inch in length, the head, antennse, and thorax are black, the 

 hind body tawny, more or less widely marked with black on each 

 wing, and clothed with fine greyish hairs. The wings expand 

 about a quarter of an inch or more, and are blackish, except at 

 the base, where they are tawny and very narrow. They are frin- 

 ged with short hairs, and rounded at the tip. The legs are pale 

 red or brownish, and the feet black. The antennae are jointed, 

 and surrounded with whorls of short hairs. The flies, which come 

 out in spring, lay their eggs on the leaves both of fall and spring- 

 sown wheat. The maggots hatched from these, in New England, be- 

 come stationary, and take the flax-seed state in June or July. 

 They are generally transformed to flies in the autumn. Accord- 

 ing to Mr. James Worth, of Sharon, Pennsylvania, the second 

 brood of flies, which appears early in June, has been entirely 

 overlooked or confounded with the spring brood. He remarks 

 that there are three complete broods, and partially a fourth in one 

 season. 



" The Hessian Fly is subject to the attacks of several parasitic 

 insects, which serve more or less to lessen their numbers, the chief 

 of which is the Ceraphron destructor, of Say, a shining black 

 four-winged fly, about one-tenth of an inch in length. This fact 

 is merely mentioned here, as it has often been mistaken for the 

 true Hessian Fly, from being seen in wheat-fields in vast numbers, 

 and known to come out of the dried larva skin of that fly, which, 

 however, it had previously destroyed. 



Mr. Herrick recommends that the stouter varieties of wheat 

 should be chosen, and the ground kept in good condition. If fall 

 wheat is sown late, some of the eggs will be avoided, but the risk 

 of winter-killing will be incurred. Cattle or sheep, permitted to 

 graze the wheat-fields during the fall will devour many of these 

 eggs. Burning the stubble immediately after harvest, and then 

 ploughing and harrowing the land, is also highly recommended. 

 Steeping the grain, and rolling it in air-slacked lime or plaster, as 

 promoting a rapid and vigorous growth, would also be beneficial. 



THE WHEAT MIDGE. 



" The Wheat Midge, ( Cecidomyia iritici,) see plate, according to 

 Dr. Harris, is a small yellow two-winged fly, very much resembling 

 a mosquito in form, but much smaller in size. It is stated to have 

 been first seen in America about the year 1828, in the northern 

 part of Vermont and on the borders of Lower Canada. The pa- 

 rent fly deposits her eggs in the beginning of July, in the opening. 



