G2 



CORN AND CxRASS. 



The wingless viviparous females are described as green or 

 brownish green, with brown horns, and the horn-like tubes at 

 the end of the abdomen also brown ; the eyes red. The 

 winged viviparous females have the abdomen green, and 

 the rest of the general colour pale brown, or rusty yellow ; 

 the tubes on the abdomen (cornicles) black ; eyes red. The 

 wings are green at the base, with brown veins, and the spread 

 of the wings is about a quarter of an inch or rather more. 

 In its earlier stages the Plant-louse is green ; the pupa has a 

 more golden tint in autumn, and its wing-cases are pale brown. 

 (Mainly from Mon. of Brit. Aphides.) 



1 — 4, winged and wingless Aphides {Aphis granarta), nat. size and magnified 

 (3 and 4 discoloni'ed from attack of parasite fly); 5 and 6, Aphiditts avencc ; 

 7 and 8, Ephedrus plagiator, parasite flies, nat. size and magnified. 



Empty skins are often to be found amongst the other 

 Aphides, differing in being somewhat swollen, wingless, and 

 brown in colour (see above figs. 3 & 4). These are Aphides 

 which have been destroyed by the maggot of a parasite fly 

 feeding within them. 



In the year 1885, damage from infestation of Grain Aphis 

 was unusually prevalent, and was reported to me from various 

 places, extending from Fife, in Scotland, down to Kent, — but 

 the observations were mostly across the northerly or north- 

 midland part of England (Cheshire to Lincolnshire). 



By careful examination of the specimens sent, a large pro- 

 portion of which reached me alive and unparasitized, it 

 appeared that some were of the Common Grain Aphis, the 

 Sijihdnophora granaria, Kirby, but by far the larger proportion 



