Che Canadn Entomologist. 
VOL. V. LONDON, ONT., JUNE, 1873. No. 6 
ON SOME OF OUR COMMON INSECTS. 
6. THE RASPBERRY SAW-FL V—Seandria rubi, Harris. 
—— 
BY W. SAUNDERS, LONDON, ONTARIO. 
Although this insect is quite generally distributed and very destructive 
‘to the foliage of the raspberry, it has, strange to say, been but little 
noticed by Entomologists in their publications. There is a short reference 
to it in “ Harris’ Entomological Correspondence,” in a letter from Darling to 
Harris, written in 1846, where a very correct account is given of the 
manner in which the egg is deposited. There is also a much briefer 
notice in “ Packard’s Guide,” and these are all the references we have been 
able to find. 
The perfect insect, which is a four-winged fly, appears on the wing 
about the middle of May. We noticed them this year first on the roth, 
last season they were not observed until the 21st, and they may be found 
from this time until early in June. The wings, which are transparent, 
with a shining surface and metallic hue, measure when expanded about 
half an inch across; the veins are black with a streak of black along the 
front margin, extending more than half way towards the tip. The anterior 
part of the body is black, the abdomen dark reddish. In common with 
some other species of Se/andria, these flies have a habit of falling to the 
ground when disturbed, especially in the cool of the morning, and 
remaining in this position long enough to enable one to catch them; with 
the increasing heat of the day they are, however, much more active, and 
take wing readily when approached. 
The egg, as it appears when squeezed from the body of the female, is 
about one-thirtieth of an inch long, and a little over one-hundredth of an 
inch wide at its widest portion. In form it approaches a long oval, rather 
