THE MEDITEEEANEAX FRUIT-FLY. 15 



In many of the pictures of this insect the hhiclc areas are drawn as if they 

 were projecting bosses or knobs, but this is incorrect; the whole forms a reg:ular 

 rounded surface. 



The wings are broad, semiopaque, with the extreme base blotched with ochre- 

 ous or brownish yellow, with the rest of t4ie basal area curiously marked with 

 black, forming dark lines of the radiating nervures, with dark lines and spots 

 between ; beyond this is a broad irregular transverse ochreous band, slightly 

 lined with black, blotched at the extremity; another similar shaped and col- 

 ored blotch runs along inside but not in contact with the costal nervure, also 

 blotche{l towards the extremity in the angular space. Between these bands is 

 another shorter black band running parallel with the first transverse band. 



The oval abdomen is clothed on the upper surface with fine, scattered black 

 bristles, and has two rather broad transverse silvery white bands on the basal 

 half of the body. The male differs from the female in being furnished with 

 a pair of stalked appendages standing out in front of the head in a line with 

 the front margin of the eyes, the extremities of which filaments are produced 

 in spatulate appendages, black, finely striated, and diamond shaped. 



The living fly is an active little creature, running about over the foliage or 

 fruit on the trees, with its wings drooping down on the sides of the body. 

 When disturbed it has a short flight, seldom flying more than a few yards at 

 the most, and it often returns to the same spot^ [See fig. 1.1 



NATURAL ENE:MIES. 



Considerable attention has been given to the investigation of possi- 

 ble insect enemies of fruit -flies, though to date no effective natural 

 check appears to have been found. Observations by Mr. George 

 Compere, in Brazil, led him to believe that this insect along with 

 several other species of fruit-flies was there kept in check by a 

 staphylinid beetle prejdng upon the maggots; and that it was also 

 held in check b}^ two species of Ichneumon wasps. Both the para- 

 sitic and predatory enemies were introduced into "West Australia. 

 Mr. Compere concludes his report ^ upon the introduction Avork with 

 the statement that with the establishment of these enemies in the 

 State the pest will be reduced to harmless, numbers. 



The importance of Mr. Compere's announcement led the Cape 

 Government and the Xatal Government to dispatch their entomolo- 

 gists (Mr. Lounsbury and Mr. Fuller) to Brazil in search of these 

 enemies, as set forth in the Agricultural Journal of the Cape of Good 

 Hope for January, 1905. In the October number of the same journal 

 (1005) Mr. Lounsbury presents his report upon the trip to Brazil, 

 that of ]\lr. Fuller having been earlier gi^^en in the Xatal Agricul- 

 tural Journal, May 2G, 1905. 



Mr. Lounsbury reports the Mediterranean fruit -fly as a very severe 

 pest in the States of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and probably else- 

 Avhere in Brazil where peaches are grown. Xo trace of the staphy- 

 linid beetle could be found and it Avas presumed to be an enemy of 



1 .Journ. Agr. Dept. W. Australia, August, 1904. 



