INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OF CALIFORNIA. 



331 



THE TUSSOCK MOTH TACHINA 



Tachina mclla Walker 



(Fig. 326) 



Description. — The Hies appear dark gray in color. The eyes art- 

 brown; face, white; thorax, black with dull gray markings; halteres, 

 white ; abdomen, black with 

 regular gray spots on the sides 

 of the dorsum ; legs and an- 

 tennae, black. The females are 

 £ inch long and the males con- 

 siderably smaller, as shown in 

 Fig. 326. 



Distribution. — The tussock 

 moth tachina occurs through- 

 out the entire State and is quite 

 a common species. 



Hosts. — This fly preys upon 

 the California tussock moth 

 (Hemerocampa vetusta Boisd.), 



tbe forest tent-caterpillar (Mal- 



acosoma disstria Hubn.) and other species of Malacosuma 



Fig. 32 6. — The tussock moth tachina, Tachina 

 nulla Walker. Male and female, enlarged three 

 times. (Author's illustration, Mo. Bui. Cal. 

 Hort, Com.) 



ANTHOMYID/E (Family) 



ROOT-MAGGOTS AND LEAF MINERS 



The adults are rather small or moderately large, somewhat resem- 

 bling house flies. The bodies are usually non-metallic and clothed with 

 few or many rather stiff hairs. The first posterior cell of the wings 

 is broadly open. The adults are common about houses and gardens. 

 The maggots usually feed upon decaying vegetable matter, but those 

 of a number of species attack living plant tissue and are serious garden 

 pests. 



THE BEET OR SPINACH LEAF-MINER 



Pegomyia vidua Lintner 



(Figs. 327-331) 



Description. — The flies are gray with the front of the head white. 

 The entire body is sparsely covered with stiff black hairs. The length 

 averages slightly less than I inch. The eggs are elongate-oval, being 

 about three times as long as wide, ivory white with surface beautifully 

 sculptured, as shown in Fig. 327. They are about 1-20 inch long. The 

 maggots are white or yellowish-green if feeding. The mouth hooks are 

 black. The spiracles are brown and arranged in two sets of three each, 

 near the top of the blunt posterior end. The length of the full-grown 



