INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE LOCO WEEDS. 35 



sing'iilar that the Lirva sliouhl have the dual habit of forming galls 

 on a shrub, as in the case of its occurrence eastward, and at the same 

 time boring into the roots of weeds, as is its western habit. From 

 the experience of many persons who have been in correspondence with 

 this office in regard to the habits of this insect, there can be no hesita- 

 tion in reiterating that it is the most potent element in the destruction 

 of the loco weed of the West. In this connection it may be well to 

 mention briefly what some of our correspondents have reported. Mr. 

 Thomas J. Quill ian, Birmingham, Colo., wrote, April 9, 1SS9. that 

 from observations conducted by himself and a fellow stockgrower he 

 was led to believe that possibly the " worms " eaten by the stock pro- 

 duced the craziness (and sometimes death) instead of the plant, as 

 was generally supposed, this conclusion being more plausible because 

 uj)on opening the dead animals many *' worms " were always found. 

 Mr. T). II. Marum, Woodward. Okla., has written that in that vicinity 

 the plants begin to die about the last week in May. At that time the 

 small " worms " are found in the roots, which they hollow out com- 

 pletely, leaving practically nothing but a shell. He suggested the 

 possibility of propagating these and other loco insects with a view 

 to destroying the weed. Mr. Thomas Carson, Bovina, Tex., writing 

 of the great loss in cattle in that section, stated that this insect, which 

 he had observed devouring the heart of the loco, was very efficient in 

 reducing the abundance of this noxious weed and had proved very 

 beneficial to the cattle interests. In closing, it should be added that 

 in the extreme west, as, for example, at Alameda, Cal., this species has 

 been observed breeding on Liipinus arhorea. 



THE LOCO ROOT-MAGGOT. 



(rcgomija luiJiiii Coq.) 



The loco root-maggot has been prominent among insects found 

 feeding on the roots of Asti'dgahis moJJis.simi/M for a number of years. 

 Doctor Marsh sa^'S that in the neighborhood of Hugo, Colo., it is 

 apparently the most important agent in the suppression of the pur- 

 ple loco. It is probable that it will rank second to the false-indigo 

 gall-moth as a destroyer of this plant. On this head Mr. (leorge 

 Hochderffer, Flagstaff, Ariz., who, on April 7, 1907, sent specimens 

 found at the roots of the plant, stated that hundreds of acres of loco 

 had been destroyed by this insect, and he believed not only that it 

 might prove to be a valuable friend to stockmen, but that it had 

 already proven so. 



It is the larva of a species of anthomyiid fly closely related to the 

 seed-corn maggot," the adult being rea-dily distinguished from that 



" Fcgomya fusciceps Zett. 



