4S INSECTS.— GENUS C£RAPHRON. 



In the Larva of Cecidomyia destrhctor. 



Head black, opaque, sometimes brassy, granulated 

 over its entire surface; eyes not prominent, rounded in 

 compliance with the curve of the head, and with the stem- 

 mata, red-brown; antenna pale brown, furnished with 

 short cinereous hairs, the two basal joints pale yellowish; 

 the terminal ones in the male, a little dilated and approxi- 

 mated so as to form an obvious ovate, acute mass. Tho- 

 rax with the granulse equal to those of the head; black, 

 usually brassy before the line of the base of the wings; 

 nerve of the wings pale brownish; feet whitish with black 

 apophysis. Abdomen ovate-acute, perfectly black, highly 

 polished and furnished with a few short hairs; the segments 

 of the base are sometimes pale yellowish or testaceous. 



Length one-tenth of an inch. 



This is often mistaken for the Hessian fly, in conse- 

 quence of being found in wheat fields in vast numbers 

 during the devastation committed there by that insect^ 

 and many have been deceived by the specious circum- 

 stance of its evolution from the pupa itself of the destroy-^ 

 ing larva, under their own observation. But the truth is 

 the Ceraphron belongs to that vast tribe of insects includ- 

 ed by Linne under the Genus Ichneumon. True to the 

 manners of its kind the parent deposits her eggs within 

 the bodies of the larvae of the Cecidomyia destructor, 

 through a puncture made by her acute oviduct for the 

 purpose; the young when disclosed from the t^^^ feeding 

 securely within the body of the larva, at length kills ity 

 but not in general until after its change into the pupa 

 state. Protected by this indurated covering, the parasite 

 undergoes its change, and appears in the perfect state, 

 about the latter part of June. It seems probable that this 

 insect prevents the total loss of our wheat crops, by re- 

 straining the. increase of the Cecidomyia, within certain 

 bounds. The Ichneumon Tipulce of Mr. Kirby is con- 

 generic with this, but is doubtless specifically distinct. 



PJiljYTED FOR THE SOCIETY BY I). HEARTT, 



And sold by THOMAS DOBSON AND SOX, No. 41 South Second-Street 



and CALEB RICUAUDSOX, No. 1 North foui'th-Street. 



