FRUIT FLIES 37 



QUEENSLAND FRUIT FLY. 

 Dacus (Tepkritis) tryoni. Froggatt. (Diptera.) 



This most formidable pest, formerly known by the 

 name of Tephritis tryoni, Froggatt, is one of the greatest 

 pests with which the fruit-grower has to contend. 

 Messrs. Try on and Froggatt have gone to a deal of 

 trouble in investigating the life history of this wonder- 

 fully destructive little fly, thereby giving southern 

 growers great assistance in the matter of its life history, 

 &c. 



This fly is the common species all over the fruit- 

 growing districts of Queensland, the northern rivers 

 and the New England districts of New South Wales. 

 It may probably come into our State in either of two 

 ways. First through the agency of infected fruit sent 

 by sea, or it may be sent overland in fruit, although 

 the latter risk is much the more unlikely than that of 

 the former, and is merely surmise, the importation by 

 sea having over and over again been proven. 



Second-hand fruit cases, a prolific source of danger, 

 get scattered amongst the orchards, and the fly may 

 rapidly spread from a number of different centres. Mr. 

 Froggatt says "I have seen fruit cases from Ryde 

 stacked up behind a shed on the Manning River, and at 

 Wallerawaiig on the Western line. I saw hundreds of 

 cases at a Chinaman's hut branded with the names of a 

 score of different orchadists' names from all parts of the 

 county of Cumberland. Now, when specimens of fruits 

 arrive at the office from any distance, I invariably find 

 that the maggots have crawled out of the fruit and have 

 pupated among the paper in which it has been wrapped. 

 The little hard chrysalis adhers to the paper, and this 

 would naturally follow if infested fruit were allowed to re- 

 main for any length of time in the case ; the pupae would 

 stick to the sides of the case, until it was returned or 

 left in new quarters, and, when hatched, would infect the 

 district. 



