NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 317 



Parasites of the Hessian-fly and other Species of Cecidomyia. — 

 Mr. William H. Asbmead, in the November number of ' Psyche,' 

 records six species of hymenopterous parasites bred from Cecidoinyia 

 destructor, two of which are described as new to science. C. aveiuc, 

 0. tritici, and the parasites affecting them are also referred to. 



Crambus perlellus var. rostkllus in Scotland. — Mr. Meyrick 

 (Ent. Mo. Mag. (^1), viii. 255) records the occurrence of this small 

 yellowish-grey form of C. perlellus on the sand-hills near Gaiiiocb, 

 Koss-shire, in the early part of September last. 



Epione parallelaria (vespertaria) in Scotland. — Mr. Hewett states 

 (Ent. Mo. Mag. p. 255) that this species has been taken near the town 

 of Hawick, Eoxburghshire. 



Larva of Ennomos autumnaria (alniaria) in Kent. — In connection 

 with the remarks on E. autumnaria {ante, p. 297), it may be well to 

 note that Mr. Geo. C. Griffiths records a larva of this species obtained 

 at Walmer in August last. It was found on a wall in the Dover Eoad, 

 and produced a female example of the moth on Sept. 21st (Ent. Mo. 

 Mag. p. 255). 



Notes on Phytomyza nigricornis. — Like many more injurious 

 insects introduced into New Zealand from Europe and America, the 

 so-called cineraria fly (Phytomyza nigricornis) is now widely dispersed, 

 and has become a serious pest in the colony. In some districts it is 

 now almost impossible to grow good cinerarias without the foliage of 

 the plants being seriously injured or quite destroyed by this leaf-miner. 

 It also mines the leaves of the globe artichoke, causing disfigurement 

 and premature decay of the foliage in autumn. It likewise mines the 

 leaves of the common sow-thistle [Sunchus oleraceus), the dandelion, 

 chrysanthemums, peas, and the native poro-poro (Sulanum avtculare), 

 the latter plant in a less degree than any 1 have mentioned. The 

 leaves of the cineraria and sow-thistle have quite a beautiful appear- 

 ance when they are closely mined by several larvte working in the 

 same leaf. When they attack the native Solatium aviculare they do 

 not appear to be able to make much progress in the more fleshy leaves 

 of this plant. In the case of cinerarias, I find dusting the leaves 

 lightly with white hellebore powder to be a perfect preventive against 

 the attacks of the fly. The phenomenally rapid and wide dispersion of 

 P. nigricornis in New Zealand may be noted. In January last I was 

 at the Eangitata gorge, and there observed the larvae very numerous 

 mining the leaves of the sow-thistles growing amongst the debris, and 

 in the damp niches of the rocks. In July I was in the upper Opibi 

 valley, and also observed the larvae mining the thistles growing under 

 the limestone rocks. It is likewise very common in all the more 

 settled districts of the South Island. In the North Island it has for 

 several years been giving considerable trouble to lovers of cinerarias, 

 and in a lesser degree to chrysanthemum growers. Owing to the 

 recent very dry mild winter in New Zealand, the larvae continued to 

 mine the sow-thistle leaves wherever the latter remained green and 

 growing. It is at all times interesting to note the habits of introduced 

 injurious insects, and their treatment of the indigenous plants. Up 



ENTOM. DEC. 1897. 2 D 



