162 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
the nearly invisible puncture, which soon becomes surrounded. by a brown 
areola. ‘They are deposited most largely in the earliest berries to appear, 
i, e. those at the base of the bunch. After emerging from the egg, the 
young larva works its way along under the skin of the berry, usually 
leaving a trail, for perhaps a third or half of the circumference, and then 
in most cases enters one of the seeds. It soon becomes too large for its 
refuge and may then be found lying between the seeds and feeding upon 
them. Occasionally two or three larvae are found within a single 
berry. The injured seeds turn black and become cemented together. 
Later, the infested currants show a clouded appearance on the side, 
occasioned by the presence of the larva; soon that cheek turns red, 
becomes darker and finally black. The infested berries ripen early and 
drop, often before the larvae have matured, but occasionally the currants 
on the bushes show the exit hole cut by the matured larva in its escape 
to the ground. Many, however, remain in the fallen fruit for several 
days before emerging therefrom for pupation, some for over three 
weeks, though most of them forsake the berries within a week. The 
larvae pupate either in the soil or under some convenient shelter on 
the surface during the latter part of June or early in July, the fly appear- 
ing the following spring. 
Remedies. About the only satisfactory methods of fighting this 
insect are the destruction of the infested fruit with the contained insect 
or killing it while still in the ground. The most practical method of 
controlling this species is, in most cases, to allow chickens to run among 
the bushes, as they will devour much of the infested fruit. Ifthe ground 
is kept cultivated, and the fowls are allowed to scratch, many pupae 
will be destroyed in this manner. Another remedy that promises to 
be effective is spraying the ground under the bushes with kerosene 
emulsion after the insects have pupated. If this was done just before a 
rain, the emulsion would be washed into the soil and come in contact 
with the pupae. This treatment should be as fatal to this insect as it 
has proved in the case of white grubs in the soil. 
Bibliography 
Loew, Hermann. Monograph of the diptera of North America. 
1873. 3: 235-38 (original description). 
Osten-Sacken, C. R. Catalogue of the diptera of North Ameriéa. 
1878. p. 189 (listed). 
Saunders, William. Insects injurious to fruits. 1883. 1889. 
P- 352, 353 (brief mention). 
