ICO 



FIRST ANNUAL KKIORT OF 



In most fields about one per cent of the ears were thus affected, but 

 in two fields near Hermann, from three to four per cent were injured 

 in this manner. This appearance was variously attributed i 

 fly, Midge, etc., etc., no one seeming to know the true cause. Upon 

 examination 1 found that the last or ear-bearing joint could 

 invariably be pulled out of its sheath with but a slight ef- 

 fort, and that it was perfectly yellow and dry, while the 

 lower end bore an irregular and gnawe 1 aj ; 

 Upon splitting open the firsl joint of the stalk, . 

 about a quarter of an inch was found to be completely 

 corroded, so to speak, and tilled with exeremenl : 

 ter, as shown at Figure 90. a. In this space would ly 



be found a pale watery-green maggot of the foi 

 ure 90, 5, attenuated at one end and blunt at th 1 



took a number ef infested stalks home, ana n 

 maggots changed to green pup£B of the form and a 

 ance of Figure 90, c. Before changing to pupa • 

 would sometimes crawl away from the joint and g . -or 



the head, between the stalk and the sheath. The pupa state 

 from 12 to 1-i days, and the first flies emerged during the first wei in 

 July. 



This fly is represented, magnified, at Plate 2, Figure 2S, and be- 

 longs to the genus Meromyza in the family Bfuscini: of the order 

 Dipter\. It appears to be the very same species which Dr. Fitch 

 found flying about wheat fields in New York State, and whi 

 scribed and named as the American Meromyza (Mero 

 cana), on page 299 of his 1st and 2d Reports.* He did not ascertain 

 the habits of the larva, however, anu they have ever since remained 

 unknown. The fly measures, on an average, 0.17 to the tip of the ab- 

 domen, and expands about 0.20. It is of a pale yellowish-green, the 

 head being more inclined to straw color. The eyes are bl 

 there is a round black spot between them on the top of the head. 

 There are three broad black stripes, with a bluish-gray cast, on the 

 thorax, the middle on it and extending anteriorly to ■ 



eel of the neck, the outer ones slightly rounded outwardly 

 tending so far anteriorly, but extending around the scut el and joining 

 the middle one posteriorly. The abdomen also has, above, thr id 



blackish stripes, which are confluent posteriorly and interrupted at 

 each of the sutures. Wings prismatic, hyaline and greenish anterior- 

 ly, their veins and the tips of the feet being dusky. 



In Europe the larva' of the closely allied genera Chlorops and 

 Oac'i '/lis have long been known to attack some part or other of the 

 stalks of wheat, rye, barley and other small grains. Several species 

 are figured and described by the English Entomologist Curtis in his 



* My specimens are all somewhat sm.ill"r than Dr. Fitch's according- to his description, and 

 have black eyes instead of " bright green ;" but upon submitting- specimens to Baron R. Osten 

 Sacken who makes a specialty of Dtptera he referred it to the same species. 



