2 



BULLETIN 134, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



and Barcelona, Spain (also punctured oranges in the London markets 

 from Murcia, Spain), at Marseille, France, throughout southern 

 Italy and Sicily, and punctured oranges in the markets of Jerusalem, 

 Palestine. 



FOOD PLANTS AND INJURY. 



In Spain, during July, 1913, the Mediterranean fruit-fly was found 

 in peaches and oranges, but in very limited numbers. The extent of 

 infestation in peaches, its favorite food, amounted to only a fraction of 

 1 per cent. It is true that most of the peaches had not yet matured, 

 and there is no doubt that a heavier infestation occurred later in the 

 season. Many of the pears, apples, and other fruits were examined, 

 both in the market and in the field, but none was found infested at that 



Fig. 1 . — The Mediterranean fruit-fly ( Cerat itis capitata): a, Adult fly; 6, head of same from front; c, spatula- 

 like hair from face of male; d, antenna; e, larva; /, anal segment of same; g, head of same, a, e, Enlarged; 

 b, g,f, greatly enlarged; c, d, still more enlarged. (From Howard.) 



time. Figs, which would probably be infested, were immature, as it> 

 was then in the period between the first and second crops. 



During the month of March an extensive examination of oranges 

 in the field and in packing houses was made, but at that season 

 none was infested. It was learned that occasional complaints of in- 

 fested oranges occur at the close of the shipping season during the 

 last of June and the first of July, and again in a few of the earlier 

 ripening fruits in October. When the section was again visited, in 

 July, all of the crop was harvested, but scattering fruits on the trees 

 and on the ground were common. These would be the ones likely to 

 be infested were the fruit-fly present. After a week's examination in 

 the groves around Valencia, only four oranges were found with the 

 larvae (fig. 1, e) of the fruit-fly. It is probable that the fly was unusu- 

 ally rare in 1913, because no complaint of infested fruit was recorded 



