290 



Insecti most injurious to Cultivators : — 



/^^^^ 



of the head black. Thorax yellow, shining, with a broad central 

 black line, becoming rather indistinct towards the scutellum; 2 

 elongated wedge-shaped marks on each side, with a still smaller 

 and narrower lateral line extending to the base of the wings: a few 

 scattered bristles are to be seen at the sides of the thorax. Scutel- 

 lum pale yellow, the base sometimes rather more obscure. Meso- 

 sternum with 2 large and 2 small lateral black spots. Metathorax 

 dark-coloured. Halteres white. Wings colourless, and beautifully 

 iridescent with pink, green, blue, and yellow reflections. Abdo- 

 men small, dark pitchy brown, pale yellowish at the base, the 

 apex being also pale. Legs fulvous ; femora not thickened ; tarsi 

 rather more obscurely coloured at the tips. Length one tenth of 

 an inch ; expansion of the wings nearly one fourth of an inch. I 

 have been thus particular in describing Mr. Raddon's insect, as 

 there are several other species which appear to be very nearly 

 allied to it, and to possesss similar habits. 



Of these, the most destructive hitherto noticed is the ikfusca 

 pumilionis of Bjercander, described in the Transactions of the 

 Royal Academy of Sweden for 1778 (p. 3. No. 11., and p. 4. 

 No. 4.). This species is of a black colour, the under side of the 

 head, and 2 lines on the thorax, being yellow; the halteres are 

 white, and the legs ash-coloured, with black tips.* The larva 

 is a white fleshy grub, one sixth of an inch long, with the head 

 pointed at the end, with a black tip, and resembling a V. It resides 

 in the young shoots of rye, in the month of May, at the lower- 

 most joint, which stops the growth of these shoots, making them 

 appear as dwarfs, seldom attaining above 1 in. or 2 in. in height; 

 whence the specific name pumihonis [pumilio, a dwarf). The 

 pupa is yellow, shining, rather more than one twelfth of an inch 

 long, and composed of rings; the flies appearing the 12th of 

 June and following days. At what time the eggs are deposited 

 in the rye is not ascertained : the larvae were small on the 23d 

 of April, and full grown on the 25th of May. On the sides of the 



* " M. nigra, subtus capite, tlioracisque diiabus lineis, flavis ; halteribus 

 albis ; pedibus ciiiereis, apice nigris." 



