()8 



FROGHOPJ'liU BLKillT OF SUGAR-CANE. 



The maggot is frequently seen in tlie froth of the froghopper and is 

 confused with the nymph by overseers and boys collecting and destroying 

 the latter. This should never occur as, apart from the absence of 

 legs, it is quite a different shape, long pointed cylindrical ; of a different 

 ■ coloui', semi-transparent shining white ; and has a characteristic habit 

 of drawing in and out the front end of the body. 



The pupa (Fig. 10) is dull brown in colour with four dark markings 

 on the dorsal surface which are irregularly V-shajjed, and a rather 

 darker lateral streak edging the lighter ventral surface. It is about 

 I'O cm. in length by 0'4 cm. in breadth and is invariably situated head 

 ■downwards attached to some grass stem or twig near the ground. 



A pupa that I found on 18th June 1916 emerged on 27th June, 

 which indicates a pupal stage of at least nine days. Another which 

 pulsated on 4th March 1917 emerged on the 14th of the same month, 

 which gives a duration of ten days, 'i'he complete life cycle is passed 

 through in 20 to 22 days. 



The adults fly chiefly in shady places and are to be found throughout 

 the year in the traces through the forests and cacao plantations in the 

 moister parts of the Island. In flight they hang down their legs in a 

 manner which gives them a still closer resemblance to the wasps which 

 they mimic in form. According to Uuppy (1914 B. p. 10) they feed on 

 the pollen of a small white flower, but will readily eat sugar and w;i*:er 



Fig. 



Fig. 11. 



11— 'Ihe Syrpliidfiy; adult. 



in captivity .^The males seem to be more abundant in the field than the 

 females. Ker.shaw dissected an a,dult and found about 350 eggs in the 

 ovaries. Guppy (unpublished report for October 1914) states that he 

 obtained an average of 150 e^'gs each from four females in captivity 

 between 1st and^ 15th October, and later (unpublished report for 



