CHAP. XVII. J 



l-'LV PESTS I IF CROPS. 



159 



Cecidomyiadae whose minute size has hitherto allowed them to 

 escape notice. 



A Blue-bottle fly (Pycnosoma flaviceps) has proved a local pest 

 of toddy in South Kanara. the flies being naturally carrion feeders 

 in tlu-ir early stages and bring bred in immense numbers from the 

 fish offal and other refuse of the Fishing Industry on the West- 

 Coast. The flit's hast' been found to fly inland as far as forty miles 

 and to congregate around the spathes of toddy-palms in such 

 numbers as to suck up all the juice .is fast as il exudes, besides 

 fouling- the toddy-pots with their excrement. Fuller details will be 

 found in Leaflet Xo. IV. of [913 issued by the Madras Agricultural 

 Department. 



1 72. — Protectivi linsl todd) flii . 'I rom Madras Agricultural 



tmenl Leafli t No. IV of 1913.) 



Flies are extremely important, both to man and animals, .is 

 carriers of diseases (see Chapter XX). So far as crops are con- 

 cerned, however, they are of comparatively little importance 



in India. 



