August, '13] TOWNSEND: PERUVIAN FRUIT-FLY 345 



THE PERUVIAN FRUIT-FLY (ANASTREPHA PERUVIANA N. SP). 

 By Charles H. T. Townsend 



Wormy fruits have long been known in the Peruvian coast region 

 from Piura on the north to Lima and the southern provinces. The 

 injury seems most acute during the month of February, at the time 

 when the peaches, guavas, cherimoyas and other fruits are largely 

 ripening. The fly is a general fruit pest, attacking not only deciduous 

 fruits but citrus fruits as well. Peach and guava trees are often so 

 completely infested that it is impossible to find a single sound fruit 

 on the tree at times during February. 



On February 17, 1912, the writer found in the Chira valley at Sul- 

 lana, Peru, a guava tree in full fruit, bearing hundreds of beautiful 

 large ripe fruits without a blemish so far as could be seen from the 

 outside. Every fruit of many dozens opened contained trypetid 

 maggots about the size of the Morelos orange-worm. Not an unin- 

 fested fruit could be found. The fly was seen on the fruits at that 

 date. A number of these guavas were put in a box to rear the fly. 

 Maggots began issuing from the fruits February 21, and flies issued 

 from March 4 to 10. As indicating distinctness of generations in this 

 fly, at least in this instance, it may be noted that on March 2, 1912, 

 the same guava tree just referred to, having dropped the infested 

 fruits of the preceding month and developed new fruits, showed on 

 careful search only one infested fruit containing one small maggot, 

 all the other numerous fruits being perfectly sound and uninfested. 



As the species appears to be undescribed, a characterization of it is 

 presented below. Its distinctness from Anastrepha fratercula Wd. 

 may be seen by comparing the descriptions. It is, however, apparently 

 rather closely allied to that species. 



Anastrepha peruviana n. sp. 



Length of female to end of ovipositor, 7 to 8 mm.; male, 6.5 to 7 mm.; wing, 6 to 

 6.5 mm. 



Description of fresh specimens — Whole head, pleurae, pro.ximal half of venter and 

 legs pale watery lemon-yellow; antennse and proboscis with a buff-yellow tinge; 

 tibiae and tarsi appearing slightly dusky from the thick fine dark pubescence. Pleural 

 plates, especially mesopleural and sternopleural, largely rufous-yellow tinged. Eyes 

 bright green, shading to lilac-purple. About the same shade of light lemon-yellow 

 or greenish-yellow as the occiput, face and front, or very slightly more deeply yellow 

 and with an enameled-effect, are the following: — -Humeri; short pleural vitta stopping 

 just before wing-base and confluent with humerus; lateral mesoscutal vitta behind 

 transverse suture reaching scutellum; median mesoscutal vitta linear in front but 

 suddenly widened behind, not reaching scutellum; and whole of scutellum; all these 

 having an enameled faint greenish tinge. Rest of mesoscutum pale brownish- 



