124 SECOND REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST, 



Desiderata in its Life-History. 



The injuries from this insect have already been serious in some locali- 

 ties, and their extension is threatened over the Western States where the 

 species exists but has not yet learned to prey to any very serious extent 

 upon cultivated apples. As it may be regarded at present as a local pest, 

 it should be carefully studied by those who have the opportunity of 

 observing it. As a guide to such study, attention is called to the follow- 

 ing points, which specially need to be determined : 



Are the eggs of the fly distributed over the apple or placed only near 

 the calyx end .'' 



Do the larvae occur in apples which have not been perforated by the 

 apple-worm of the codling-moth or some other insect ? 



How long a time is required for the larvae to attain their growth ? 



How do the larvje leave the fruit — by several holes through the skin, 

 through a single hole, or only when the apple has become broken down 

 from decay ? 



When entering the ground for pupation, to what depth do they bury ? 

 This could be ascertained by providing them with a box containing a 

 few inches of earth for their burial. 



Are both the early and late fruits similarly attacked by this insect ? 

 It is possible that the larvae reported in Avinter apples may be of a differ- 

 ent species. 



During what months and portions of months are the larvce to be found 

 in the apples ? 



Are the puparia (see b, in fig. 26), to be found at the bottom of 

 apple barrels, or bins in cellars, or between the staves or boards ? 

 Should any doubt exist of the identity of the puparia found under such 

 conditions, the fly should be reared from them to determine the point. 



Other Species of Similar Habits. 



The qualified naming, at the commencement of the notice of the 

 insect of which inquiry was made, was necessary, in the absence of 

 examples for examination, there being two other species of flies which 

 attack and injure apples in much the same manner as the apple-maggot. 

 The first of these is believed to be a species of DrOfophila. Its opera- 

 tions in early apples were described in Vol. II of the American Nat- 

 uralist (p. 641). The fly and the 

 puparium are represented in Fig. 

 27. The larva2 enter the apple 

 either through the calyx end, the 

 hole bored by the Carpocapsa ap- 

 ple-worm, or the cut of the Curcu- 

 lio. They mature in August and 



Fig. 27.— An apple-fly. Drosophila, of au unde- o <_ i j r 11 j u 



termined species :n, uie larva. September, and are toUowed by 



