46 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904. 



body is curved in a similar manner. When the body is suddenly 

 straightened the whole body is lifted or thrown from one to 

 two inches in distance. 



The larvae which leave the fruits while the latter are still 

 on the tree, fall to the ground and at once commence to burrow 

 beneath the surface, sometimes, however, they remain within 

 the fruit, which ultimately falls to the ground and may so continue 

 weeks after the others have gone below the surface. Generally 

 speaking, the larvae remain about an inch and a-half below the 

 surface, but the actual depth depends very much on the' nature 

 of the soil, sometimes being found quite two and a-half inches 

 deep. Here they may remain as naked larvae for some con- 

 siderable time, before commencing to form their cocoons. Many 

 after being in the ground for a fortnight or so have formed small, 

 thin, tough, silky cocoons, yellowish-white in colour and oval 

 in form, which are more or less covered with fine adhering par- 

 ticles of earth. 



Some of the larvae may remain for a further period in these 

 cocoons before changing to pupae. 



The pupae, which are rather smaller than the larvae, measur- 

 ing a little over an eighth of an inch in length (3 to 3.5 millim.), 

 remain in the ground until the following spring, when towards 

 the end of March or early in April , they break through their 

 cocoons and commence to work their way to the surface ; after 

 pushing the whole of the body excepting the posterior end, 

 well above the surface, the skin in the thoracic region makes 

 a longitudinal slit, through which the adult fly escapes. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ADULT FLY. 



This and the following descriptions of the larva and pupa 

 are taken from Dr. Riley's excellent work (op. cit.), which is 

 not generally accessible. 



"Male. Average length 2.5 millim.; expanse about 5.7 

 millim. General colour dark grey or black. Head with the 

 eyes deep velvety black ; face dark grey, almost black, a fringe 

 of long yellowish hairs, which curve over the eyes, on the edge 

 of the occiput. Antennae 26-] ointed (2 + 24) pedicillate-monili- 

 form, and normally clothed ; one-fifth longer than the whole of 

 the body, black, with peduncles whitish ; the two basal joints 

 shortest and stoutest ; all others globular, decreasing slightly 

 in size from 3 to 26, the peduncles cylindrical and gradually 

 increasing in length, apical nipple almost as long as apical joint. 

 Palpi faintly dusky, 4-j ointed, joint 4 about as long as 2 and 3 

 together and somewhat curved. Thorax very dark, dul grey 

 or black, with two anteriorly diverging, rather indistinct grey 

 stripes, beset with long yellowish hairs ; an oblique row of 

 such hairs runs from near the head and extends along the side 

 of the thorax to near the anterior margin of the scutellum ; a 

 semi-circle of similar hairs on the scutellum, the lateral ones 



