132 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOI-OGY [Vol. 9 



at the point where the sprout had broken through the head. These 

 sprouted cabbages were in various stages of decay. Some of the de- 

 cayed parts of such plants contained a number of fusciceps larvae, 

 while heads that were not decayed contained no fusciceps larvse, 

 although more or less infested with larvae of hrassica\ These condi- 

 tions suggested that the laceration of the plants by the larvae of brassicce 

 and the development of areas of decaying tissue had made the heads 

 attractive to fusciceps. In all our examinations of material in which 

 hrassica larvae were breeding there has been every indication that this 

 species prefers sound tissue. This fact, when considered in connec- 

 tion with the well-known range of food materials of this species, has 

 led us to believe strongly that at least in this instance fusciceps was 

 largely a secondary pest of the cabbage, attacking the plants only after 

 rotten tissues developed. 



However, in going over some of the accounts of the work of P. 

 fusciceps it is evident that some entomologists have believed the insect 

 to be capable of causing injuries to growing crops. Chittenden ^ 

 states that "the seed-corn maggot was observed during April and May 

 doing great damage to late planted beans in the vicinity of Diamond 

 Springs, Va. In certain areas rows were entirely killed off, necessi- 

 tating replanting." Also, "during the spring of 1909 extensive injury 

 to seed potatoes was incurred in Tidewater, Virginia." 



Although P. fusciceps has been reported as injurious many times there 

 are a few writers who have suggested that cool, wet weather has 

 something to do with the appearance of the insect in sprouting seed. 

 Fletcher^ says, "Corn sown during a cold, wet period by which germi- 

 nation is unduly delayed is very liable to be attacked by the corn-seed 

 maggot." During 1910 the farmers in certain sections of the central 

 west became much alarmed because large areas planted to corn failed 

 to germinate and upon examination found the seed to be infested with 

 small worms. Regarding the outbreak. Dr. Forbes^ makes the follow- 

 ing statement: "The insect injury is due to two insects, called respec- 

 tively, the black-headed grass maggot and the seed-corn maggot, 

 both of which are particularly liable to infest seed corn which has 

 been in the ground a long time, either dead and decaying, or softened 

 and possibly sprouting, but delayed in growing. Injuries by these 

 insects are at present, I think, not so serious as they seem, the main 

 damage being done by the weather." 



In conclusion, there are positive indications that the insect does 

 occasionaly feed upon partially decayed matter, but we have no 



> Va. Truck Exp. Sta. (Norfolk) Bui. 2, p. 34. 



2 Central Exp. Farms Ottawa Bui. 52, p. 35-36. 



3 Ohio Farmer, p. 702, 1910. 



