190 



Wiedemann, who had described it in the genus Trypda, still retained it in 

 that genus when he published his general work on exotic diptera in 1830. 

 Afterwards Macquart classed the genus PetalopJiora with this species in the 

 Nouvelles Suites deBufon, 1835. Guerin, however, placed them in Macleay's 

 genus when he published his Monograph of a Genus Muscidse named Ceratitis, 

 and in which he described three new species in 1842. 



Rondani, in his Podromus Dipterologicse Italics (1856-77), placed the 

 members of this genus in a new genus he created, and which he called 

 HalteropJiora because the n&me Ceratitis was preoccupied. This was followed 

 by Penzig, in the Annali de Agricoltura, 1887. Tryon used the later name, 

 which I followed in my Notes on Fruit Flies (Aarieultural Gazette, New South 

 Wales, 1899). On looking up Rondanfs reasons, I find that the word 

 Ceratitis has, according to Packard's list of genera, been used three times : 

 for Molluscia Hann, 1825 ; Macleay Diptera, 1829 ; and Servielle Coleoptera, 

 1835. However, I do not see why we should discard it, for it is such a 

 characteristic name, and is not likely to clash with the name of a group of 

 molluscia. I have, therefore, returned to the old name because, too, it is 

 still the recognised name for this group in Europe and America. 



The Mediterranean Fruit Fly. 



(PL VIII., figs, la, 2a, 3, 4a ; PI. V., fig. 18.) 



Ceratitis capitata, Wiedemann. 



(TepTiritis capitata, Wiedemann, Analecta Entomologica, p. 55, Vol. IV, 

 1824 ; Ceratitis citriperde, Macleay, Zoological Journal, XVII, p. 475, 

 pi. xv, 1829; Ceratitis liispanica, de Breme, Annals de la Societe* 

 Entomologique, Vol. XI, p. 189, pi. vii, 1842). 



Though Wiedemann first described this species, it was Macleay's paper, 

 " Notice of Ceratitis citriperda, an insect very destructive to oranges," that 

 first called attention to it as an orange pest, under the very appropriate name 

 of Ceraiitis cilriperda. In this paper he states that he had obtained 

 specimens from the Azores, where they infested a great quantity of the 

 oranges, at that date sent from these islands to the London markets. He 

 says : "I ought, however, to observe that I have seen the perfect fly on a heap 

 of oranges in the market place of Funchal, in the island of Madeira, and also 

 in St. Jago, one of the Cape Verds. I am informed, moreover, that a maggot 

 infests oranges in the West Indies, but I have not myself yet seen it." In 

 this very interesting paper, Macleay makes some general remarks on the 

 cleaning up of orchards, which are just as applicable to the fruit-growers of 

 to-day as they were eighty years ago. 



Wiedemann described this species, and said his specimens came from the> 

 East Indies, and his type, if it still exists, will be found in the Royal Museum 

 of Copenhagen. All the writers that have followed Wiedemann and Macleay 

 have taken it for granted that they described the same species, one from the 

 Azores Islands (though now known all over the Mediterranean region) and 

 the other from the East Indies ; yet if the locality of Wiedemann's specimens 

 is correct, it is very strange that Ceratitis capitata has never been discovered 

 in that part of the world since Wiedemann obtained it. We have the exact 

 locality of Macleay's specimens, while Wiedemann's is the East Indies, a 

 variable locality in those days. 



