SMYRNA FIG CULTURE. 



13 



grub. After many unsuccessful attempts, the insect was sent over to 

 the United States from northern Africa in 1899 by Walter f T. Swingle, 

 of the United States Department of Agriculture. Success was due 

 to avoiding methods which had previously often failed by confining 

 the efforts to the winter generation and. by the ingenious device of 

 wrapping each caprifig in tin foil to prevent evaporation. It was 

 discovered later, however, that the Blastophaga was already here, 

 having been accidentally introduced with fig trees from southern 

 Europe about 1865, but this did not become known to orchardists 

 until 1908, having been, so far as known; confined to an isolated tree 

 10 miles west of Modesto and one or two others in the vicinity of 

 Lathrop,Cal. (50, 54). 



In California the insect, which hibernates in the larval form 

 during the previous 

 few months, reaches 

 maturity in April. 

 The male leaves the 

 gall first. He moves 

 about the interior of 

 the fig, and, finding a 

 gall containing a fe- 

 male, gnaws a hole 

 through the cortex of 

 the ovary at the base 

 of the style and fer- 

 tilizes the female while 

 she is still in the gall. 

 The gravid female en- 

 larges the opening and 

 sometimes makes an- 

 other, usually at the 

 base of the style, probably because it is the point of least resistance. 

 In from 22 to 48 hours she leaves the gall, reaching the open air 

 through the cluster of male flowers, the anthers of which at this 

 time have burst and are shedding large quantities of pollen. Her 

 body is moist and sticky and she is frequently so loaded with pollen 

 that she is unable to fly until she divests herself of much of it in 

 the same way that the common house fly strokes its body with its legs. 



After being relieved of part of the load, she flies to the nearest fig, 

 and if it be in the right condition she immediately seeks the opening 

 at the apex. At this time the figs are hard and from a quarter to 

 three-quarters of an inch in diameter and the eye is closed by the 

 overlapping scales. Some authors assert that with her powerful 

 mandibles she is obliged to cut away a portion of one of these scales 

 to effect an entrance; but this is unnecessary, as she is able to push 

 her head under the thin edges and after a struggle of sometimes five 



Fia. 7. — Blastophaga psencs: a, Egg; 6, young larva; c, outline of 

 young larva in gall; d, full-grown larva; e, mouth of full-grown 

 larva. (All enlarged.) 



