THE MELON" FLY. 



23 



known to live longer than 4^ days without food and water, or longer 

 than 5 days with water but no food. But if they can feed upon 

 plant juices, such as the sap that exudes from cut or broken surfaces 

 of pumpkin vines, cucumber fruits, papayas, etc., or the sap exuding 

 from the breaks made in host plants during egg laying, adults may 

 live many months. One female lived from February 17, 1914, to 

 April 4, 1915, or 13^ months. The length of adult life is variable 



Fig. 22. — Destruction of green bean pods by larvse of melon fly. In a and 6 a por- 

 tion of the pods has been removed to expose larvse and their work. In a are 

 shown four well-grown larvte. Pods in different stages of drying out after the 

 larvae have left theni are shown in c and d. (Authors' illustration.) 



under like conditions. From the standpoint of longevity the chief 

 interest centers about the fact that certain adults may live long- 

 periods and thus keep the pest alive during seasons when host fruits 

 are not in season. 



Female flies may begin to lay eggs as soon as 14 days after they 

 emerge from the pupa during the warmer months, when the mean 

 temperatures range from 75° to 79° F. During the winter, at a mean 



