FRUIT FLIES 41 



Queensland fly, and no less than fifty-eight larvae were 

 taken from one cucumber. The maggots were received 

 from Queensland on 22nd October, and pupated on 25th 

 October. The perfect insects, which emerged on the 

 21st November, lived only twenty-four days, whereas the 

 Queensland flies will live for weeks. The larvae of this 

 fly also have the peculiar habit of curling up and 

 jumping, beating badly all previous records that I have 

 observed of the jumping propensities of fruit fly larvae. 



THE GUAVA FRUIT FLY. 

 Tep /iritis psidii. 



I am indebted to Mr. Tryon for museum specimens 

 of this fruit fly ; and which I have not seen in its living 

 state. In dealing with this insect Mr. Froggatt remarks : 

 ' The fly was bred out on the 4th of April from some 

 infected guavas, which had been condemned by Inspector 

 Butler, who obtained them from a cargo from Noumea, 

 New Caledonia. When the guavas were examined about 

 a fortnight before, the maggots were very small, so that 

 their development had been very rapid ; probably a month 

 would be long enough for the egg to hatch and evolve 

 the perfect insect. The maggot did not appear to differ 

 in any point from that of D. tryoni ; but as they were 

 examined in an immature state they may yet develop 

 specific differences. The pupae bury themselves in the 

 soil just below the surface, and, when the pupa cases are 

 empty, are light yellow, about two lines in length." 



As we have no plate of this insect, I give Mr. Foggatt's 

 description, as the pest may come here from the South 

 Sea Islands. 



'Three lines in length, expanse of wings, 4^ lines; 

 head, light brown ; eyes, rich metallic purple ; antennae, 

 brownish yellow, with the last joint black, long and 

 cylindrical, finely pubescent ; the bristle springing from 

 the apex of second joint, stout and long, and a few on 

 the forehead and hind margin of the head. The thorax 



