DIPTERA. 



357 



Ceoidomyia (1) pice^;, Henschel. 



In the spring of 1906 I began to dissect a number of cones of the 

 common spruce, with a view to looking for the larvae of Megastigmus. 

 In one batch the cones showed a number of light orange-colouivd 

 larvae. These were put aside in glass jars, and from May 13 to May 20 

 the jars simply swarmed with specimens of Cecidomyia. Reference 

 to available English literature has failed in giving any account of 

 this species, but the more important^ German text -books give two 

 species viz., C. jricece as living in the seeds of the common spruce, 

 and C. abietiperda, Hensch., 

 as living in the shoots of 

 spruce. The species in ques- 

 tion would appear to coin- 

 cide with the former. A 

 careful dissection, however, 

 showed that not only many 

 of the seeds were eaten by 

 the larvae, but also a very 

 large proportion of them had 

 hollowed out the thicker 

 portion of the bracts. 



Family AGROMYZID.E. 



The larva? of this family are 

 said to mine leaves and do 

 other damage, but I have not 

 hatched out any of those 

 insects. 



As regards family charac- 

 ters, Theobald states : " No 

 costal bristles. First longitudinal vein short, the auxiliary connected 

 with it at tip ; posterior transverse vein far distant from the border. 

 Front with strong bristles. Border of mouth with vibrissa on each side. 

 Third joint of antennae rounded, terminal bristle bare or pubescent." 



Fi 



336. Galls on stem of species of willow caused 

 by Agromyza sctaineri. (From photo by E. T. 

 Connold.) 



Agromyza schixeri, Gir. 



This species is found on willows, and I am indebted to Mr E. T. 

 Connold, St Leonards-on-Sea, for the photograph as shown in fig. 33G. 



