8 May, 1907.] Fruit Flies. 305 



the trouble has been traced through the medium of impoated fruits, bananas 

 and oranges especially, infected fruits of both kinds being commonly ob- 

 tainable in Melbourne, the suburbs, and in the country townships. Those 

 who have carefully studied the habits of the fruit-fly are aware that their 

 flight is but short, a,nd judging fromi their habits in our Victorian orchards 

 it would appear that the fly does not favour long distance journeys, 

 although, as with other kinds of short flight insects, it would be possible 

 for this pest to fly or be even blown across the Murray. This is, of 

 coarse, a mere surmise, but the fact of the grubby fruit being even obtain- 

 able in Melbourne and elsewhere, goes to prove how necessary are the 

 extra precautions now being taken by the Department. As one who has 

 seen the fl\- at work both in New South Wales and Queensland, I assert 

 that the ravages of the Mediterranean fly in Victoria are quite as bad as 

 either the Queensland or New South Wales experiences have been able to 

 record, half-green peaches being attacked as badly as those either ripening 

 or ripe. The perfect Queensland fl\ has not, so far as we are aware, 

 made its appearance amongst us, and we sincerely trust it ma\- not do- so. 



Referring to the life history of the Mediterranean fly as observed in 

 Victoria, the female insect punctures the skin of the fruit when the latter 

 is in the condition of being half -grown, harci and green to that of ripe 

 or ripening fruit, and by means of ovipositor places from five to^ fifteen 

 eggs in each fruit. These hatch out in a few days, the maggots remaining 

 in the fruit for about fourteen days. The fruit then drops to the ground, 

 and the maggot or grub enters the earth to the depth of a few inches, and 

 there assumes a chrysalis form, from w'hich the fly emerges in from 14 

 to 20 days, according to the climiatic condition. In a climate like 

 Victoria, it is thought possible, taking the succession of fruits into considera- 

 tion that we may have a fresh brood for nearly seven months in the year. 

 It has been (juestioned by some persons whether this fly is found in Queens- 

 land at all, but the fact of it having been reared by us fromi bananas and 

 oranges fromi Maryborough places the matter beyond the shadow of a doubt. 

 If such be not the case, then the fruit must have been affected during 

 transit, a theory which I, for one, will not entertain. 



Queensland Frnit Fly. 



Dae US {Tcpliritis) frvoiii. /■'roggaff. {Dipt era.) 



This most formidalde pest, formerly known b\- the name of Tepliritis 

 fryoui, Froggatt, is one of the greatest pests with which the fruit-grower 

 has to contend. Messrs. Tryon and Froggatt have gone to a deal of trouble 

 in investigating the life histoa-y of this wonderfully destructive little fly, 

 thereby giving southern growers great assistance in the matter of its 

 life histoTy, &c. 



This fly is the common species all over the fruit-growing dis- 

 tricts of (Queensland, the northern rivers and the New England dis- 

 tricts of New South Wales. It ma\ probably come into oiir 

 State in either of two wa\s. First through the agency of infected fruit 

 sent by sea, or it may be sent overland in fruit, although the latter risk 

 is much the more unlikely than that of the former, and is merely surmise, 

 the impoTtation by sea having over and over again been proven. 



Second-hand fruit cases, a prodific source of danger, get scattered 

 amongst the orchards, and the fly m,ay rapidly spread from a number of 

 dift'erent centres. Mr. Froggatt says " I have seen fruit cases from Rvde 



