INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OF CALIFORNIA. 343 



Control. — The control of any fruit-infesting maggot is very difficult 

 and at best may only be a slight help in preventing the entire loss of 

 crops. The gathering and destruction of all green berries before they 

 begin to fall will remove practically all of the next year's brood, but 

 this is a very difficult matter, even in a small patch, and beyond ques- 

 tion in large acreages. Thorough cultivation during the winter will 

 expose many of the hibernating pnparia and cause their destruction, 

 especially by allowing poultry to pick these up after each cultivation. 

 Covering each bush with fine netting, tying it securely around the 

 base, to prevent the entrance of the flies as they emerge from the 

 ground, is to be recommended for the small garden. 



THE POMACE FLY 



Drosophila melanogaster Meigen 2 * (Family Drosophilidae) 

 (Drosophila ampelophila Loew) 



(Fig. 342) 



Description.— The adults are small, light brown or orange-colored 

 flies with bright red eyes. The tips of the abdomens of the males 

 are dark. The average length is about $\ inch. The eggs are oblong, 

 exceedingly small, and have two long projections or wings. The 

 maggots are white and ^ inch long. The pupas are yellow or brown 

 with light markings near the anterior end, which bear two long horn- 

 like breathing tubes. This species can always be distinguished by the 

 comb of black spines on the upper side, near the tip of the front tarsus 

 of the male. 



Life History. — The eggs are deposited in suitable feeding places for 

 maggots on decaying vegetables, canned, pickled or soured fruit. The 

 maggots work upon the above fruits until they are ready to pupate. 

 This takes place among the refuse, the adults appearing within a few 

 days. The entire life history seldom covers more than fifteen or twenty 

 days. 



Distribution. — This species is exceedingly common throughout the 

 entire State. 



Food. — Canned, pickled and sour fruits, and decaying vegetable 

 matter form the principal food. The author has reared the adults 

 from soured and decaying bananas, pickled figs and decaying radishes. 



24S Johnson, C. W., Psyche, XX, pp. 202-203, 1913. 



There are three other common species in California as follows: Drosophilu busckii 

 Coq., which greatly resembles the pomace fly, but is much smaller and has fine, dark, 

 transverse lines on the abdomen. It has been reared from decaying squashes, bananas 

 and potatoes. Drosophila repleta Woll. is much larger than either of the two former, 

 being slightly more than J inch lung and rather robust. The body is also considerably 

 darker, the abdomen being striped above with heavy, black, transverse lines. It is an 

 imported species and breeds in decaying bananas and other fruits. The author lias 

 not seen specimens of Drosophila apicata Thorn., the larvae of which mine the leaves 

 of cabbage. 



