26 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



Osten Sacken says it "seems to be common in those regions." 

 If its habit of infesting currants was known in 1873, n0 men- 

 tion is made of it. It is next considered by Saunders in 1883. 

 During the intervening ten years its currant infesting habit 

 became known and some attempts were made to determine its 

 life history. 



In 1 891, Prof. Gillette found it very abundant in Colorado, 

 infesting gooseberries, this being the first authentic account of 

 its infesting that fruit. Prof. Gillette also added many facts 

 regarding the life history. 



We find no reference to this insect in the Agricultural and 

 Horticultural Reports of Maine, and if it has done injury here- 

 tofore it has not been recorded. 



Mr. Z. A. Gilbert says he was formerly troubled by such an 

 insect, but stopped growing currants for a time and then 

 resumed and has not been troubled since. Mr. D. H. Knowl- 

 ton, Farmington, says his currants have been infested for sev- 

 eral years. 



It is quite certain that Epochra Canadensis, Loew, is a native 

 American species, distributed throughout the northern part 

 of the United States, and in Canada, extending from the 

 Atlantic to the Pacific coast. 



This insect is widely distributed in Maine and is capable of 

 doing great injury to currants and gooseberries and growers 

 of these berries should become acquainted with it and be on the 

 lookout for its depredations. 



' GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 



Perfect insect a two-winged fly about the size of a house 

 fly. Pale yellow or orange with greenish iridescent eyes and 

 dark bands across the wings. Found about currant and 

 gooseberry bushes from the last of May and through June in 

 Maine. Stings the currants, depositing an egg under the 

 skin, that hatches and develops into a small white maggot caus- 

 ing the fruit to turn red and drop prematurely. The maggots 

 when grown leave the fallen or hanging fruit, enter the ground, 

 and change to the pupa state from which the fly emerges the fol- 

 lowing June. 



