334 



IN.iriUOI'S AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OF CALIFORNIA. 



THE SEED-CORN MAGGOT 



Phorbia fusciceps (Zetterstedt) 



| Pegomyia fusciceps (Zetterstedt) ] 



(Aricia fusciceps Zetterstedt) 



(Anthomyia scce Riley) 



{ChortopMla cilicrura Rondani) 



(Figs. 332, 333) 



Description. — The fly is about A inch long or nearly the same size 

 cis the ordinary house fly and light gray in color. The adult may be 



separated from related 

 species by a row of short, 

 nearly equal, hairs on the in- 

 side of the hind tibia 3 . 241 

 The maggot is nearly cylin- 

 drical, being largest at the 

 posterior end, white or yel- 

 lowish and about \ inch 

 long. The pnparium is oval, 

 dark brown, with two pro- 

 jections on the anterior and 

 several projections on the 

 posterior end. 



Life History. —The life 

 history of this species is 

 practically the same as that 

 of the radish maggot. 



Nature of Work. — The 

 maggots work in the soil 

 upon the sprouting seeds 

 and either prevent growth 

 of the plants or so injure 

 them as to produce only a 

 stunted, sickly plant. 



Distribution. — The fly has 

 been received from San 

 Diego and Santa Barbara 

 counties and reared from 

 onions from the San Fran- 

 cisco Bay region. It prob- 

 ably also occurs elsewhere 

 in the State. It is common 

 throughout t h e Unite d 

 States. 



Food Plants. — The 



Fig. 332.— The seed-corn maggot, Phorl/ia fusci- sprouting seeds or yonng 

 eeps (Zett.). Top picture shows maggots and plants of beans (lima and 



their work on young lima beans; bottom shows ., . ,. N , , 



adults. Slightly enlarged. Specimens received other varieties), beets, cab- 

 in..,, If. v. M. Hall, San Diego. (Original) ha „ e? com> mustard, OllionS, 



pens, potato, radish, sweet potato and turnip are attacked. 

 •"Sanderson, K. D., ins. Pests Farm, Garden ami Orch., p. 321, 1912. 



