569 



during 1913. Previous records of this insect have been made from 

 other parts of New Jersey and Delaware. The Syrphid was first 

 observed during the last week in August, when adults and larvae were 

 abundant. The numbers increased during September. On 11th 

 October, the number had decreased perceptibly, but pupae were still 

 present. Adults of both sexes seemed to feed exclusively on the pollen 

 from the maize. Eggs were usually deposited in groups in the staminate 

 flowers. Young larvae were found in these flowers, but seemed 

 to migrate to the axils and wandered over the plant. No injurious 

 effects upon the maize were noticed on this occasion. Pupation 

 usually occurred along the modrib on the upper surface of the leaf. 

 The most important enemy was a disease which appeared to be 

 especially fatal to mature larvae. The larva of the Coccinellid, Megilla 

 fuscilabris, attacked the pupae. No internal parasites were found by 

 dissection of the pupae, although, in a few cases, eggs placed on 

 leaves showed holes through which parasites had escaped. M. polita 

 has caused injury to maize in Florida and Missouri. In Illinois, 

 the green larva has been known to feed on the clover louse. 

 Present information suggests that the species is sporadic in its attacks 

 on maize. 



Severin (H. H. p.) & Severin (H. C). Life-History, Natural Enemies 

 and the Poisoned Bait Spray as a Method of Control of the Imported 

 Onion Fly {Phorbia eepetorwji, Meade) with Notes on other Onion 

 Pests. — Jl. Econ. Entom., Concord, viii, no. 3, June 1915, 

 pp. 342-350. 



Hylemyia antiqua, Mg. (Phorbia cepeforum, Meade), causes 

 serious loss to onion-growers in some parts of Wisconsin. The 

 female deposits its eggs between the stem and the ground, or in 

 a crevice near the stem, at a depth of from one-eighth to one-fourth 

 of an inch below the surface. Sometimes eggs are found within the 

 axil of a leaf or on the leaf itself. Under field conditions the incubation 

 period of eggs deposited by the first brood of flies in early June varies 

 from three to four days. The larval period is completed in from two 

 to three weeks in green onions, onion-sets and small seeded onions, but 

 in seeded onions from the previous year, development of the larvae 

 occupies from four to five weeks. The pupal period requires from 

 9 to 16 days during the latter part of June and early July. The fly Y 



was able to complete its life-history in from "29 to 35 days when placed 

 below the surface of the soil in contact with radishes ; when placed 

 in fresh horse-manure, the life-cycle w^as completed in from 29 to 31 

 days. The majority of females showed mature eggs in the ovaries 

 at the end of 16 days. The period of emergence of the second brood 

 under field conditions extended from 28th June to 25th July, most 

 of the flies issuing between 1st and 12th July. The most important 

 natural enemy of H. antiqua in Wisconsin is a Staphylinid beetle, 

 Aleochara anthomyiae, Sprague. Oxybelus i-notatus, Say, and spiders 

 have been observed attacking the fly. A single Hymenopterous 

 parasite of the genus Cothonaspis was bred from the pupa. A con- 

 tagious fungus disease killed large numbers of the fly. The rapid 

 increase in the numbers of this pest in Wisconsin may be mainly 

 attributed to lack of clean methods of cultivation. When onions are 



