542 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 9 



boring in the crown of both clover and alfalfa, which leads us to believe 

 that their economic importance has been somewhat overlooked. 



Life-History 



Technique Used. — The first studies in life-history were attempted 

 by rearing the flies in small potted plants. Here, however, it was 

 difficult to locate the eggs and impossible to observe the maggots. 

 For studying the actual work of the maggots on the roots of plants, 

 a flat glass device was used. This was filled with dirt and a geranium 

 slip started. When this breeding box, shown in photograph Plate 41, 

 figure 8, was placed on its side, some of the roots would come to lie 

 against the glass. Thus when the maggots were found eating the roots, 

 the whole device could be inverted and examined under binoculars. 



The fact that the maggots fed upon roots suggested the possibility 

 of carrying the life-history through on slices of potato in petrie dishes. 

 The data for the life-histories were obtained by following the various 

 stages on slices of potato in this manner, or in small potato cones in 

 test tubes. 



Dr. Robertson suggested that I sterilize potato in the auto-clave 

 and add yeast — a modification of the banana and yeast plan employed 

 by breeders of Drosophila. I reared one brood through in this fashion 

 in thirty days. 



Broods were reared in the soil of potted plants as a general check 

 on the length of the life cycle. 



Stages in Life-History^ 



The entire life cycle from egg-laying to egg-laying takes from twenty- 

 four to thirty-two days. The adult female often begins ovipositing 

 the day following her emergence. The egg stage and the pupal stage 

 are quite constant as to the length of period, but an irregularity of 

 several days frequently occurs even among the maggots hatching from 

 one egg clump. 



The Egg 



The females lay from about seventy-five to one hundred and seventy- 

 two eggs. These eggs are placed in declivities or irregularities of the 

 soil. Often, where the soil has drawn away from the pot or the plant 

 stalks, the female will follow down these crevices as far as possible and 

 oviposit there. 



The eggs are usually laid in clusters of from two or three to more 

 than thirty. Individual eggs are oval and measure . 24 mm. in length 

 by .12 mm. in width. Clusters of them are quite plainly visible to 

 the unaided eye. When first laid, the egg is of a pale greenish-yellow 



