THE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT-FLY. 3 



HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION. 



The Mediterranean fruit-fly was originally described by Wiede- 

 mann under the name Tt'ijpcta capitata^ from specimens said to have 

 come from the East Indies. 



Latreille in Cuvier's Regne Animal, published in 1817, under the 

 caption " Les Tephrites " states, on the authority of Cattoire, that the 

 colonists of the Isle of France (Mauritius) were scarcely able to 

 obtain sound citrus fruits, perfect at maturity, on account of the 

 extreme abundance of a dipterous insect wdiich deposited eggs in 

 them. This early reference might be considered as referring to the 

 Mediterranean fruit -fly. A si)ecimen, presumably this same insect, 

 was sent by Cattoire to Macleaj-, who so regarded it, but it was later 

 given specific rank by Guerin under the name Cenditis cattoirei. 



Although the insect was described by Wiedemann, it was first 

 brought prominently into notice by Macleay in 1825), in an article 

 published in the Zoological Journal (vol. 4, p. 475) entitled '' Notice 

 of Ceratitis citriperda^ an insect very destructive to orange.'' 

 Macleay's article, accompanied by a colored plate, was based on 

 specimens obtained from the Azores. Shipments of oranges from 

 these islands were reaching the London market in bad condition and, 

 as stated by Macleay, of the quantity annually received, from 90,000 

 to 100,000 chests, about one-third were thus affected. Not infre- 

 quently whole cargoes were in such a state of decay as not to bring 

 the value of the freight. Tliis breaking dowm of the fruit en route, 

 while possibly due in part to other causes, was attributed by Macleay 

 to the ravages of this insect. Macleay also made note of its occur- 

 rence on the island of St. Michael, where it was especially trouble- 

 some during March, xVpril, and May. In a footnote to his article he 

 adds that the perfect fly was observed by liim on a heap of oranges 

 in the market place of Funchal, island of Madeira, and also at St. 

 Jago, Cape Verde Islands, and calls attention to a report that a 

 maggot infests oranges in the West Indies. 



Wiedemann (Aussereurop. Zweifliig. Insekten, p. 49G) in 1830 

 again describes the insect under the name Trypeta capitutu^ citing his 

 earlier description (Analecta Entomologica, p. 55, Nr. 124) , and adds : 

 "A queer little animal which was placed in the Royal Museum with 

 the name Musca capitata, with the information that it had been cap- 

 tured by Daldorf on the Indian Ocean." The type is said to be in the 

 Royal Museum at Copenhagen. 



F. de Breme, in the Annales de la Societe Entomologique de 

 France for 1842, redescribes the Mediterranean fruit-fly under the 

 name of Ceratitis hispanica, from specimens found in oranges in the 

 environs of Malaga, Spain. He points out supposed differences be- 

 tween his species and that of Macleay. 



