The Xiinissus fly. 107 



Oall Mile, and can ea-sily Ikj seen with a liaml lens. SiKJciniens were 

 sent to Dr. Xale|»a, who informs nie it is u new 8]>ecies wliich he is 

 goin^ to (le.scril>e.t 



Infnnnation was sliiI lo Mr. (iked to destroy the plants that were 

 nttaeked antl all ciiliinLjs takni tV">iii them, ami to hiirn the earth in 

 which ihev weix' j^jiowin^'. 



It' allowed to spivad, ihi.s mite would prohuhly fonn a seriuiis 

 source of loss to nurserymen. 



The Narcissus Fly. 



(il/t rtx/t'/t (fjinstns, Fahr.) 



A correspondent, Mi. T. J. Ix?ney, sent the larva- of the Nar- 

 cissus Fly, fixmi Chert.sey, with the following note : " Tliey i»lay 

 havoc with the narcissus Imlbs and are evidently the maj^got of some 

 fly. They commence horing from the hase of the Imlh upwards, 

 eating out the centre. I cannot quite understand their lK?ginning 

 oj>emtious at the base of the hulh; one would have thought the eggs 

 w<»uld Ix? dejwsited at the top and the maggots work down the l»ulh, 

 whereas the ixiint of entrance is in nearly all cases as shown by the 

 dot in the drawing." 



The larva* were of the dipterous genus Mcrodon, several of which 

 are known to feed upon the bulbs of the narcissus, etc., in Kumpe. 

 One s|»ecies only is so far recorded from fircat I'ritain. namt'ly, 

 Mrnxlon rqufstris, Fabr., according to Mr. \'emill, but Walker in his 

 wnrk on " I'ritish l)i]>tera" also gives MmHlon clanjHs, Meigen, 

 ]»rtiltably in enx»r. There are three varieties o{ Mcrwlon cquratris, viz., 

 var. narcissi, ¥., var. validus, Meig., and var. traiiS(rrsfi/is, Meig. 

 These three were at one time treated a.s distinct species. Which 

 variety the larva* sent belong to it is nt»t ]>o.ssible yet to say. 



Tliis Xarci.ssus Fly has frcquently attacked the bulbs in Coni- 

 wall, and I have had it rejxjrte<l t«» me from Ham, in Sum-y. 



The fly apinmrs in May, and may Ite seen flying over dalVtKlils and 

 other similar jdants. The fly resemldes to ."^ome extent a l»ee in 

 ft)rm ; it is three-fourths of an inch long; the l)ody is deep bluish- 

 black with inmsverse ban«l8 of gohlen yellow; the winir' nu-w 

 fringed with dull yellow ; legs black, short and stout. 



The female j>rolMibly lays her eggs near (»r upon the bulb. The 

 larvii", however, always seem U> enter from the lower i»art of the 



t This is drucrilKHl under the niuiic Eriophyr* vuJoe, n. njK (SiUnnc der 

 IT C'Umc roin 11. IVc. IWJ, Knimrlichr 



A- A. 



