Report of the State Entoiiologist. 195 



almost at a right angle one with the other, are thrust outward through 

 the cuticle in its contraction. 



It is believed that all of the pupa observed in the month of Febru- 

 ary, were in the position above stated. In several of those received 

 by me the present November, and now before me, they are plainly to 

 be seen occupying the upper surface of the leaf. Can this be acci- 

 dental or is it a seasonal feature ? 



Mr. Falconer's Account of the Insect. 

 Mr. Falconer has contributed to the American Florist, for March 15, 

 1887, ii, p. 297, a short notice of "The Marguerite Fly, Phytomyza affinis " 

 (the scientific name taken by him from some European journal), giving 

 items of its habits and life-history, which we copy: 



The fly is a small insect and might readily be mistaken for one of 

 the little flies so abundant about fermenting horse-manure. When 

 disturbed it hops about rather lazily or flies from one branch to 

 another, but seldom flies away for more than a few feet. It lays its 

 eggs singly under the skin of the leaf, and wart-like specks form over 

 the eggs. In a few days time little white grubs are hatched, which 

 are the evil workers. * * * After two weeks energetic eating, 

 the larva thrusts its head outside of the skin of the leaf and pupates. 

 From the laying of the egg till the perfect fly issues from the chrys- 

 alis is within five weeks. I conclude this to be the case, from some 

 clean cinerarias which were brought into the greenhouse in which 

 the Marguerites were growing, the leaves of which at the end of five 

 weeks contained not only eggs, larvae, and pupse, but also empty 

 pupse cases. The work of increase appears to proceed incessantly. 



Successive Broods of the Insect. 

 Mr. Falconer is doubtless correct in his belief of successive broods, 

 for from the evidence he adduces above of its maximum life-cycle, 

 coupled with my observations, there would seem that there must be 

 at least three broods during the autumnal and winter months. Leaves 

 sent to me on November 14th of this year contained pupse (crushed), 

 indicating an appearance of the fly at about the middle of November. 

 Flies emerged in my office from pupse, during the middle of February 

 last. The intervening period would give more than the required 

 time for another brood occurring at the assumed interval of five weeks. 



Larval Food-plants. 



Mr. Falconer gives the following report {loc. cit.) of the larval food- 

 plants : 



Although the Marguerite seems to be its favorite food, it does not 

 at all restrict itself to this plant, but attacks every other composite 

 plant within its reach. Judging from its behavior here, it even pre- 

 fers the double white feverfew to the Marguerite. It has also attacked 



