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INSECTS INJURIOUS TO VEGETABLES 



The Seed-corn Maggot (Pcgoiitya fusciccps Zett.)-— When 

 the seeds of beans, peas, corn and other plants fail to 

 develop, damage is frequently due to a maggot which works 

 by scraping the seeds, sprouts, roots, stalks, and stems of 

 plants underground/ Where this insect works decay soon sets 

 in and the plants die. Entire plantings are sometimes destroyed, 

 but when only a few seeds or sprouting plants are attacked, 



Fig. 62.- Four-spotted bean weevil, a. Beetle; b. larva: c, pupa 

 All enlarged. (Author's illustration, U S. Dept. Agr.) 



injury may escape notice. Early crops suffer most and if they 

 can be preserved until larger growth they will as a rule sustain 

 considerable attack without material damage. 



The insect in question is called the seed-corn maggot and 

 bean fly, and its parent looks like a small house fly. It can be 

 identified by the male (fig. 63,0)." The female can scarcely be 

 distinguished from related species, such as the adults of the 

 cabbage root-maggot and onion maggot. The length is about 

 one-fifth inch and the wing expanse about two-fifths. The larva 

 is footless and of cylindrical form {d) , narrowed at the anterior 

 extremity and enlarged posteriorly. It is considerably smaller 



1 Injury of this cliaracter is also committed by wireworms, wliite grubs and 

 some otiier insect.s, e. g., weevils in the seeds. 



- His principal characteristics consist of a row of short, rigid, bristly hairs 

 of nearly equal length on the inner side of the posterior tibiae or shanks. 



