THE ONION-FLY AND THE LOCUST-EGG ANTHOMYIAN. 181 



the name of Anthomyia for a small group of the black-legged species, 

 more highly developed than the others, having the alulets rather 

 larger with the scales unequal in size. The remainder of the black- 

 legged species are separated in two divisions, for the first of which 

 CJiortophila Macquart is adopted, to include those which have the 

 abdomen more or less thickened and cylindrical ; and to the second 

 division, to include all those with black legs not belonging to either of 

 the other two groups, Desvoidy's name of Phorbia is given. The 

 species of this genus have the abdomen narrow and elongated, or 

 oblong and flattened. The pale-legged species (without the limitation 

 of Desvoidy and Macquart to those that have the body also more or less 

 3"ellow) are placed in the genus Pegomyia Desv. 



In the above genera, all the species to be noticed at the present 

 time are arranged. The student who may desire to study this group 

 may find them tabulated in the Entomologists' Monthly Magazine for 

 July, 1882, p. 31. 



Phorbia cilicriira (Rondani). 

 The locust-egg Anthomyian. 



Ord. DIPTERA : Fam. ANTHOMYIIDiE. 



CJiortophila cilicrura Rond. Att. Soc. Ital. Sci. Nat., ix, 186G, p. 165. 

 Anthomyia radicum var calopteni Riley : Ninth Rept. Ins. Mo., 1877, pp. 92-95, 



f. 28 (discovery and description); Supp. Mo. Repts.,1881, p. 89 (description). 

 Anthomyia angustifrons Meigen: in First Rept. U. S. Entomolog. Coramis., 1878, 



pp. 285-289 (from 9tli Mo. Rept.); in Second Rept. U. S. Ent. Commis., 



1880, p. 263 (mention). 

 Chortophila angustifrons Meig. Osten Sacken : Cat. Dipt N. Amer., 1878, p. 



107 (citation). 

 Chortophila angustifrons (Meig.). Meade : in Entomol. Month. Mag., xiv, 1878, p. 



252 (in Cambr. Museum); in Canad. Entomol., 1881, p. 49 (identical with 



A. rad. var. calopteni). 

 Phorbia cilicrura (Rond.) Meade : in Entomol. Month. Mag. xix,1883, pp. 213,216. 



A species belonging to the same genus with the preceding, but owing 

 its economic importance to very different habits, may next be briefly 

 noticed.* 



Discovery of its Attack upon Locust Eggs. 



During the summer of 1870, when the Rocky Mountain Locust was 

 proving so exceedingly destructive in several of our Western States, 

 and public attention had been drawn to the study of its habits and 

 natural history, in the hope of discovering some means of controlling 

 its excessive ravages, the interesting discovery was made, that the eggs, 

 which had been laid in immense numbers, had been attacked by a 

 small " white worm or grub," which was destroying a large propor- 



*Later observations have disclosed a larval food-plant in common, which intimately con- 

 nects the two species. Mr. Meade has discovered P. cilicrura feeding on onions, and 

 during the past summer, he has bred a number of the flies from onion-feeding larvae. 



