438 



ENTOMOLOGICAL RECORD. 



By Towxexd GLOVEr, Entomologist. 



"AE3IY" OR "SXAKE WORM." — A letter was received in tlie latter part 

 of July from a correspondent, Mr. C. jMoralle, of Leesburgli, Virginia, 

 containing- a number of very small white worms, or larvoe, having dis- 

 tinct black heads. These worms ai^peared to be clinging to each other 

 by means of a viscid substance on the surface of their bodies, and formed 

 a small living mass. In the accompanying letter Mr. Moralle stated 

 that what attracted his attention was " tlie peculiarity about them that 

 they gathered in a long string, resembling a snake, piling themselves 

 up thickly in the middle and tapering at each end, and when they moved 

 the whole mass moved as in one body." Unfortunately these worms were 

 all dead when they arrived, but Mr. Saunders, of this Department, 

 brought a mass of similar larvte a few days afterward, which had been 

 given him by a gentleman also in Virginia. These specimens were 

 placed in a glass jar, having a small quantity of damp soil at the bot- 

 tom, and retained their ball-shaped form for some time, and then com- 

 menced to creep round the side of the jar on the earth in a string, three 

 or four abreast, and continued traveling for a couple of hours; they 

 then dispersed and buried themselves a short distance under the surface 

 of the earth, and changed into pupa?, ai)pearing six or eight days after- 

 ward as perfect flies. These were about one-tenth of 

 an inch in length, (expanse 0.13,) of a dusky black 

 color, with dark brown legs and dusky wings. Upon 

 examination they proved to be a species of Sciara, 

 the larvte or worms of which usually feed upon decay- 

 ing vegetable substances, and are frequently found 

 in fungi. The species above mentioned as occurring 

 in Virginia is very similar in habits to a European 

 species, Sciara tliomcc, which is usually called the 

 snake or army worm in Germany, from its habit of 

 sometimes assembling in innumerable numbers, creeping among and 

 over each other, and hanging together by means of a viscid moisture, 

 and forming a mass like a snake or rope, sometimes several feet in 

 length, and two or three inches in breadth. The fly of the European 

 species, Sciara thonuv, is described as having yellow stripes or points 

 on the abdomen, whereas our American species (at least when dried) 

 does not show any vestige of yellow whatsoever on the abdomen, but is 

 of a uniform dark brown color, although the worm or larva has the same 

 habits of forming snake-like processions. It is somewhat singular that 

 these worms appeared almost simultaneously in two places in Virginia, 

 while no mention is made of their appearing elsewhere. 



These insects {Sciara) generally do no damage to cultivated vegeta- 

 tion, although one species, Sciara {MoJohrus) mali, is mentioned by Dr. 

 Fitch as being found in the interior of apples, especially when pierced 

 or eaten out by the codling moth, {Carimcapsapomonella^) orother insects, 

 where they merely accelerate the decay of fruit already previously in- 

 jured. In Europe the larvie of other species, Sciara jfucata, and qiiin- 

 quc onactdata, live in putrid or decaying turnips, &c., and have been 

 accused of producing the disease in potatoes commonly known as the 

 " scab." Sciara pyri is said to deposit its eggs in the yet unfolded 

 pear-blossoms, the larva? of which, when hatched, work themselves 

 down to the core, causing the young and yet undeveloped fruit to wither 

 and fall to the ground. 



The species lound in Virginia probably does no injury to cultivated 



