THE FROTH FLY. 13 



in the folds of the leaves of the unopened blossom, and the larvae 

 hatch out in about ten days. They are a deep-yellow or yellowish- 

 brown in colour, and for about twenty-eight days they may be 

 noticed in great activity in the flowers. At the end of that time 

 wings commence to develop, and the insect reaches its nymph stage, 

 which lasts for about a week. Excepting for the developing wings 

 and the rather lighter colour, there is little difference in the appear- 

 ance of the nymph from that of the larva. 



The adult insect is about one-twelfth of an inch in length, 

 almost black or brownish-black, with a paler head, and the abdo- 

 men is marked by six more or less pale bands. There are two 

 pairs of wings, which are fringed with numerous fine hairs. During 

 the winter the adults hybernate in crevices and beneath the rough 

 bark on pea or bean sticks, in crevices in palings, or under the 

 rough bark of trees, etc. 



PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES. 



Wherever an attack of these insects has been experienced, the 

 haulm and the old sticks should be burnt. Neither peas nor beans 

 should be grown on or near the same ground the following year. 



Liming and deep ploughing have also been recommended, 

 and the removal of all rough herbage which affords a winter 

 shelter. 



THE FROTH FLY. 



T ettigonia spumaria, Linn. 



As in 1904, the larvae of this insect have proved very trouble-- 

 some. 



The different accounts of the life-history are not altogether 

 satisfactory. At the beginning of September, 1904, several perfect 

 females were examined and found to be full of eggs; they had 

 almost ceased to leap, and being on sunflowers, which were cut 

 down in November, particular attention was paid to them with a 

 view to finding out when and where the eggs were deposited. 



In December some of the old cut ends of the stems of the sun- 

 flowers were pulled off from the roots, and inside these hollow tubes 

 many hibernating females were found, still carrying the eggs. In 

 April, 1905, what were thought to be the eggs of this insect were 

 noticed in groups of three, four, or five on the new sunflower 

 leaves ; certainly in five or six days after the observation was made, 

 there were tiny masses of froth present, with the newly-hatched 

 larvae within. 



In addition to the remedial methods suggested in my last 

 Report, I would mention the two following: 



The cut ends of stalks of sunflowers, hollyhocks, etc., should 

 be gathered early in the year and burnt. 



Good results have been obtained by spraying with the follow- 

 ing sprayfluid : 



