Report of the State Entomologist. 73 



Phytomyza lateralis (Fallen). 

 The Marguerite Fly. 



(Ord. Dipteea: Fam. Phytomyzid^.) 



Fallen : Dipt. Suec, iii, 1823, 3, 2.* 



Meigen: Syst. Beschr. bek. europ. zweifl. Ins., vi, 1836? p. 190. 

 Westwood : Introduc. Classif. Ins., i, 1839, p. 152; id., ii, 1840, p. .573. 

 CuBTis: British Entomology,— Diptera, viii, 1849, pi. 393. 

 Kaltexbach : Pflanzenfeinde Classe Insekten, 1874, p. 387. 

 Glover: MS. Notes Journ.— Diptera, 1874, p. 40 (mention). 

 GouREAU : in Ann. Soc. Ent. France, ii, ix, p. 156. 

 Falconer : in Amer. Florist, ii, 1887, p. 297 (as P affinis). 



Its First Observation in this Country. 



The operations of this insect, an European species, were first detected 

 in this country in October, 1886, in the greenhouse of Mr. Charles A. 

 Dana, at his country residence, Dosoris, near Glen Cove, N. Y. The 

 leaves of some daisies (Marguerites) were seen to show some wart- 

 like specks and irregular, whitish, linear markings, and soon afterward 

 to shrivel up and die. Examination for the cause disclosed small 

 " worms " working within channels in the interior of the leaves. 



Some of the infested foliage was sent to Albany on the fifteenth 



day of February last. When received (two days later) the insect had 



entered upon its pupal stage, and a single fly had been disclosed and 



was found within the box. Another fly aj^peared the following day, 



and quite a number emerged from time to time until the tenth of 



March. 



Operations of the Marguerite Fly. 



In response to request made by me for further information of the 

 attack, it was learned that the operations of the insect had been first 

 noticed by Mr. Wm. Falconer, head gardener at Dosoris, during the 

 preceding autumn, as above stated, and that thus far it seemed to be 

 confined to plants of the Order of GomjMsitce. As it apparently dis- 

 played a preference for the daisy. Chrysanthemum frutescens, it had 

 been given in the greenhouse the name of the Marguerite fly. Infested 

 leaves of tansy {Tanacetum) and of three other species of the Gom- 

 positce (not identified), each bearing the pupae, were sent to me. In 

 each of the plants the mining operations of the larvae had been exten- 



* The following references to other European authors have kindly been given me by 

 Dr. S. W. Williston: 



Zettekstedt: Dipt. Scand., vii, p. 2836, 24.— Rob. Desvoidy: in Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr., 

 2d ser., is, p. 156.— Schinee: Faun. Austr.. ii, p. 313.— Brauer: Denkschr. k. Akad. 

 Wissensch, xlvii, p. 90. 



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