188 



Fbytaud (J.). La Mouche du C6Ieri (Addia heraclei, Linn6). [The 

 celery fly {Acidia heraclei, L.)]. — Bull. Soc. Etude Viilg. Zool. 

 Agric, Bordeaux, xiii, no. 7, July 1914, pp. 109-114, 2 figs. 

 [Received 8th March 1915.] 



In recent years, complaints have been received from the south-west 

 of France of the damage done to celery leaves by the celery fly, 

 Acidia [Trypeta) heraclei, L. The eggs are laid singly on the surface- 

 of the leaves, in which the larvae mine. In England, pupation 

 takes place in the soil, whereas in France and in the United States 

 this stage usually occurs on the leaf. In the south of France, the 

 winter is usually passed in the adult stage and two generations 

 occur annually, the first from May to July and the second from 

 September to October. This fly is also found on wild Apium graveolens 

 and on various other Umbelhferae, such as Heracleum sphondilium, 

 H. longifolium, H. asperum, Angelica silvestris and Pastinaca saliva, 

 and on a Composite, Onopordon acanthium. Small insectivorous birds 

 are among the natural enemies of the fly, which is parasitised by the 

 Braconids, Alysia apii, Sigalphus flavipalpis and Aspilota fuscicornis, 

 and the Chalcidoid, Pachylarthrus smaragdinus. To prevent oviposition 

 on the celery leaves, a mixture of 3 parts soot and 1 part lime is recom- 

 mended for dusting on the leaves, whilst in America, spraying with 

 petroleum emulsions is used for the same purpose. The presence of 

 wild food-plants in the vicinity naturally constitutes a danger to celery 

 beds. Where these are of limited extent, the larvae may be killed 

 by pinching the swellings on the infested leaves or by cutting them ofE 

 and destroying them. A bibliography of 7 works is given. 



Egbert (J.). Les Ephippig6res nuisibles £i la Vigne. [E phippiger sp-p. 

 injurious to the vine.] — Bull. Soc. Etude Vidg. Zool. Agric, 

 Bordeaiix, xiii, no. 7, July 1914, pp. 114-116, 1 fig. [Received 

 8th March 1915.] 



The grasshoppers belonging to the genus Ephippiger are omnivorous, 

 Valery Mayet recording them as even attacking labourers asleep in 

 the fields, and they sometimes devour one another. The two species 

 chiefly injurious to the vine are Ephippiger ephippiger {vitium) and 

 E. hitterensis . The former occurs both in southern and central France, 

 and the latter is chiefly prevalent in Languedoc. Each female deposits 

 about 50 eggs in the soil during summer, the larvae hatch out in spring, 

 and the adults appear in July. Very serious injury may be done to 

 the vine if these Orthoptera are present in numbers. They attack 

 the leaves, the bark of the branches and even tha grapes. They infest 

 cereals, and a field situated near a vineyard is a menace to the latter, 

 for the harvest deprives the insects of their food and they migrate to 

 the vines. Spraying with nicotine or aloes, or dusting with nicotined 

 or naphthahned sulphur may drive the pests away, but the effect is 

 usually temporary. The best method of control is hand-picking, 

 either on the vines or on bait traps, such as offal. About 20 cantimes 

 (Ifd.) is usually paid per kilo (2'2 lb.) to the women and children 

 entrusted with the work. 



