NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 43 



WHEAT MIDGE 

 Thecodiplosis mosellana Gehin. 



Wheat midge, " red maggot " or " re'd weevil " has been unusually 

 abundant in recent years. It was studied in 1918 and a detailed 

 account of the insect will be found in the report for that year. The 

 studies begun then have been continued on account of the impor- 

 tance of the crop. Additional data have been secured through the 

 cooperation of Prof. C. R. Crosby of Cornell University, the latter 

 working in conjunction with the late W. R. McConnell of the 

 United States Bureau of Entomology, later with P. R. Meyers, and 

 with the aid of L. F. Strickland of the Department of Farms and 

 Markets. Infested heads were secured from widely separated areas 

 in the State and the results are summarized in tabulations given 

 below. The prevalence of the wheat midge during the last few 

 years appears to be the first general abundance noted since the 

 insect was extremely destructive to the New York crop in the years 



1854 to 1856, a loss of two-thirds of the crop being the estimate 

 for 1856. 



Early injuries by wheat midge summarized in the 34th Report 

 of the State Entomologist, page 41, vary so greatly from present- 

 day conditions, that a few statements obtained in 192 1 by Prof. 

 C. R. Crosby from some of the older farmers in Yates county are 

 deemed worthy of record. Isaac Crosby of Penn Yan writing 

 under date of November 2d to his son stated that in 1853-54 Yates 

 county was quite a winter wheat-growing section and about that 

 time the " weevil fly " and the " red larvae " worked in the wheat 

 heads, causing much shriveled grain and for a time wheat raising 

 was not very profitable and they took to raising barley. S. S. 

 Mariner under date of November loth stated that about 1854 or 



1855 the " weevil " caused so much damage that they had to stop 

 raising wheat until they learned that the Mediterranean wheat could 

 resist the weevil. J. D. Meeks under date of November nth stated 

 that about 1854 or 1855 the loss on his wheat amounted to 25 per 

 cent, while others claimed a 50 per cent loss. W. D. Beaumont 

 under date of November 14th stated that wheat midge injury as 

 he recalled it occurred about from 1852-55, 1854 being the worst 

 on account of the great drought. That year farmers sowed rye 

 and very many lived on rye bread and continued to until the weevil 

 disappeared. These brief accounts by eye witnesses confirm the 

 earlier statements by Fitch. 



