36 MISCELLANEOUS RESULTS OF WORK OF BUREAU IX. 



of the latter by the long bristles on the underside of the posterior 

 femora or hind thighs. It was described in 1901 from flies obtained 

 from the stems of Lupinxs aJha from Los Angeles, Cal." This species 

 resembles the common house fly, though more slender and of a more 

 distinctly gray color. The larva? are white maggots and resemble the 

 seed-corn maggot. They infest chiefly the crown of the plant, seldom, 

 if ever, entering the roots, but penetrating into the larger stems; 

 sometimes, it is reported, going as far as the base of the flowers. 



We have records of the rearing of this species from A. mollissimus 

 from material collected at Sherlock, Kans., and from Luphius arborea 

 at Alameda, Cal., in April. In June, 1887, it was received from New 

 Mexico with statement by Dr. V. Havard that it was breeding in 

 the roots of A. mollissimus. At this time we were conducting con- 

 siderable correspondence with Doctor Havard in regard to the insect 

 enemies of this plant in Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas. Doctor 

 Havard stated, among other things, that at that time it was some- 

 what generally believed that " locoism " on the part of stock animals 

 was due, not to any deleterious property of the plants, but to the 

 larva? of insects found abundantly in the stems and roots. In all 

 specimens received by him from New^ Mexico the stems, without ex- 

 ception, were bored by the larva? of this species. Flies from this last 

 lot began issuing June 10. In May, 1905, and January, 1908, this 

 species was again received from locos from Hugo, Colo. In that 

 locality it was associated with FJuxesta notata and Sciara inconstans. 



THE FICKLE MIDGE. 



(Sciara inconstans Fitch). 



This minute gnat-like fly Avas reared from purple loco received from 

 Hugo, Colo., in 1906, the adults issuing May 24. During 1907-8 addi- 

 tional specimens Avere receiA^ed from the same source. Doctor Marsh 

 has expressed the belief that this species, Avith the larger maggot, Pe- 

 ffomya lupini Coq., is one of the chief causes of the destruction and 

 apparent temporary extermination of this loco w'eed in that section 

 of Colorado. The members of the family to Avhich it belongs, the 

 Mycetophilida?, are for the most part scavengers, feeding on decom- 

 l^osing vegetable matter, including fungous growths, Avhence their 

 name of " fungus gnats." Taken as a Avhole, hoAvcA-er, the family dis- 

 plays great diversity in habits and the present species is the most 

 widely distributed and most nearly omnivorous of its kind. It feeds 

 on A^egetation of almost all forms, occurring destructively in green- 

 houses, as also in the open, in cultivated and uncultivated regions. 

 It appears to be most abundant in the Northern States. 



" Ent. News, September, 1901, pp. 206-207. 



