^o AjV account of BRITISH FIIES. 



lime, which is said to destroy the larvc^ of the pest "; but neither this 

 nor the appUcation of soot and Hme can be strongly recommended. 



Cecidomyia iiniricahc, Meade. 



This species was discovered by Mr. Inchbald, and described by 

 Dr. Meade,* in 1886, the perfect insect not being known before. 



S . — Head black, covered by white hairs. Face brownish-yellow, 

 inner margins of eyes bordered by a yellow line. Palpi light yellow. 

 Antennae composed of seventeen joints, blackish-brown, nearly 

 as long as the body. Joints petiolate and verticillate, white hairs. 

 Thorax blackish-brown, marked by three dark stripes, running 

 longitudinally and gradually becoming less conspicuous as they pass 

 backwards. Thorax covered by white and gray hairs, especially at 

 the sides and in two lines on the dorsum. Roots of wings bright red. 

 Shoulders marked with a }^ellow spot. Scutellum black at the base, 

 reddish-yellow towards the end and sides. 



Metathorax black. Abdomen dark reddish-brown, the first 

 segment almost black ; white hairs upon all the segments, especially 

 at the sides, and a few at the borders of the segments. A brown 

 band runs down the ventral surface on a flesh - coloured ground. 

 Last two segments narrow and testaceous in colour, the male 

 armature also testaceous. Halteres brown, knobs clothed wiih 

 patches of white hairs. 



Wings covered with a dark pubescence, veins clothed with scales, 

 having a reddish tinge. The second longitudinal vein is straight 

 and joins the costal in front of the apex of the wing. The under 

 surfaces of the brown legs are clothed with silvery hairs. The knees 

 and ends of tarsi pink. 



? The female is distinguished from the male by the following • 

 points : i. The antennae smaller than s — about half the length of 

 the body, 2. Joints of antennae sessile ; they lessen gradually as they 

 approach the apex, the last joint being half as long as the pre- 

 ceding one. 3. Abdomen lighter than the ^. 4. The oviduct long 

 and slender, basal joint round, yellow ; second joint elongated and 

 brownish-black ; the last joint being long and slender, yellow at base, 

 brown in centre, and pink at the extremity. No terminal lamellae. 



The larva; are found on Carex iiiiiricata, amongst the seeds and 

 flower spikes. They feed " within the utricle on the embryo nucule, 

 pupating in the spikelet."! In this position they pupate, forming a 

 papery cocoon, towards the end of the autumn. 



* Eiitomolooist, 18S6. A New Cecid.— Inchbald and Meade. 

 + Notes on Cecidomyidse during 18S6. Eiit., 1887. 



