f^._ 



280 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



3 



DESCRiPTiojf OK Plate.— Fig. 1, Female Wheat Fly, magnifie<l ; 2, Natural size ; 3, Pupa or chrys- 

 alis, magnified; 4, Male, magnified. Hg. 5, G. tcrgata ; 6, Il^ad of wheat, showing the Larvte 

 deposited on the kernels. 



The only reliable preventive of damage from this insect hitherto found is, to abstain 

 from wheat-culture in neighborhoods Avhere it prevails to an injurious extent. Early 

 seeding is generally recommended by those wheat-growers who have had to combat 

 this enemy. It is exposed to the depredations of other insects which deposit their ova 

 in the larv;e of the Cecidomyia tritici, and the parasites hatching, devour the maggots 

 of the wheat fly. 



Figure 5 represents another variety of Cecidomyia, called C. tergata, which differs but 

 little in color IVom the insect already briolly described. There are other varieties 

 of wheat flies with scientific distinctions, but they differ so little from the Cecidomyia 

 tritici that the distinctions made are of no practical value to the farmer. 



Insects injurious to the farmer are on the increase in this country, and we have often 

 expressed our regret that agricultural entomology should receive so little attention from 

 agricultural societies and naturalists. As the pupa of the wheat fly passes the winter 

 but an inch or so under ground, it is possible that fall plowing will turn up these 

 chrysalids, and expose them to be eaten by birds, moles, and other insectivorous animals. 

 It is not likely that freezing will kill the pupa of any lly hurried slightly in the earth. 

 Birds and toads are the natural enemies of the young of all insects, and they should 

 be kept — or at least not harmed — that they may multi])ly and destroy insect depreda- 

 tors. Insects multiply preternaturally because man exterminates their enemies, and 

 thereby nullifies the balance of organic nature. 



