1908 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 17 



The Apple Maggot (Rhagoletis pomoneUa). 



Mr. Jarvis : The Apple Maggot is tlie larva of a little two-winged fly, 

 and it is reported from a few places in Eastern Ontario. I should like to 

 know if it has spread to any other districts. 



Prof. LocHHEAD : We found the Apple Maggot somewhat abundant in 

 certain districts about Montreal. A few miles up the Ottawa E-iver the 

 Apple Maggot has been abundant for some years in a large commercial 

 orchard and the owner has done everything in his power to control it. Just 

 across the river from Como there is a farm where the Apple Maggot is 

 known to be and we have two careful observers there, upon whose observa- 

 tios I think we can depend. At St. Anne's, five miles from there, I have 

 found the Apple Maggot in some of the old orchards on French farms. I 

 have not observed it on the College trees. Then at Hull, further west, Mr. 

 Reid, Secretary of the Quebec Horticultural Society, reports its presence; 

 and at Covey Hill, near the boundary line between Quebec and New York. 

 I have not seen it there myself. Mr. Swaine was in that district and 

 he confirms Mr. Eeid's observations. Then in the City of Montreal one of 

 this College's graduates, who is in charge of the work this year, reports the 

 Apple Maggot as doing serious damage. It is in the barrels in which the 

 apples are packed for shipping. Sometimes he finds it hard to detect. The 

 Apple Maggot, of course, works underneath the skin of the fruit and seldom 

 comes close to the surface. It is difficult to tell when aji apple contains one 

 of these maggots. (Fig. 2.) 



The only method that we can recommend for its destruction is clean 

 culture and gathering and destroying all the apples that fall. It seems 

 that the Apple Maggot does not leave the apple until full grown. As soon 

 as the apple falls the maggot matures, crawls out and hides at or near the 

 surface of the ground, and there pupates. 



Now, it is thought that if hogs or sheep or any common stock are allowed 

 in the orchard to pick up and destroy this fallen fruit the pest would be 

 unable to develop and to pupate. I think that this is probably one of the 

 best methods ; but then again we have the point : no matter how careful we 

 are, suppose our neighbors do not take steps for their control, would not 

 the apple flies come over to us from our neighbors? It has been asserted 

 that the flies are not given to the habit of flying "from orchard to orchard 

 but confine themselves to the same trees. I do not know how far that can be 

 confirmed. 



Going through Prince Edward county six or seven years ago I estimated 

 that from one-third to one-half of the apples were damaged by the Apple 

 Maggot. It does not seem to spread very far out of that particular district. 

 It just seems to locate in certain parts and is not widely spread. 



Mr. Gibson : We have had reports from Ontario and Prince Edward 

 counties regarding it this summer. 



Mr. Caesae, thought the fly did not migrate as a rule. He had found 

 in Prince Edward county a Snow apple tree which had been badly affected 

 bv the maggot for three years, while the fruit on the other trees near by of 

 the same variety was untouched. Tolman Sweets were attacked, but Spys 

 and some others in the same orchard were not ; Crab apples were also severely 

 injured. It seems on the whole as if the insect preferred the early varieties. 

 The fruit-buyers have now become sufficiently familiar with the pest to 

 refuse to purchase fruit affected by the maggot; such fruit is only fit for 

 the cider mill. Mr. Caesar did not mean to imply that winter apples were 

 not attacked because in other orchards than the one referred to he found 



2 EN. 



