322 REPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



and in abont ten days they hatclied out into a fly about the size and appearance of the 

 house-fly. — [C. 0. Perkins, Oswego, Labette County, Kansas, June, 1877. 



Very many have been killed by a large maggot, apparently the larva of a Sarco- 

 pliaga carnaria. The maggot is about one-fourth of an inch in length. They seem to 

 attack the locusts at or near the time of the last molt, though sometimes the pupae are 

 attacked. The locusts, when affected, become tor^jid, and hop with difficulty. When 

 these are examined, one or more maggots are found at work in the thorax. After the 

 locust is killed, the maggots continue at work until every particle of the viscera is con- 

 sumed, leaving only the empty skeleton remaining. One dead locust was found to con- 

 tain eight of the fully-grown maggots. — [A. N. Godfrey, June, 1877. 



Myriads of locusts were destroyed by cold, heavy rains, and by a small fly producing 

 maggots in them. Flies of this kind very numerous. — [James Moore, Bastrop, Tex., 

 May 8, 1877. 



Upon examination of the young 'hoppers we find several very small-looking worms, 

 which seem to develop with the 'hopper, and when it (the 'hopper) gets a little older 

 this worm seems to have increased in size so much until we find them eating their pas- 

 sage out of the 'hopper, after which the 'hopper dies in a very short time. When it 

 comes out it looks something like a maggot from a dead carcass. We find from three 

 to six of these worms in a 'hopper, and, as before stated, the 'hopper very soon dies 

 after this worm is out, and it was the immense number of the dead 'hopjpers on the 

 prairies that led to the discovery of the phenomena described. It being an entire new 

 feature here makes us somewhat interested, especially as we hear the report of dead 

 'hoppers from various portions of the State. Some time after leaving the 'hoppers, this 

 maggot (or whatever it may be) burrows into the ground, and this is as far as we 

 know anything of it at present ; When it goes into the ground it has attained a size of 

 about one-quarter of an inch in length and very thick in proportion, and somewhat 

 ribbed as it contracts and expands in moving. My object in writing you is to get 

 your opinion as to what this worm may turn to, as some here think it will produce 

 more 'hoppers, others think some kind of a fly. There is one thing certain, if they 

 keep on at the present rate of destruction the 'hoppers will be a scarce animal in a 

 couple of weeks. We shall be pleased to have a reply from you on this subject, as it. 

 may benefit a suffering community. — [A. W. Eisien, Groesbeck, Tex., April 25, 1877. 



Some time since " W ill," our special correspondent, gave our readers an account of 

 the wonderful destruction of grasshoppers by the Tachina-fly in the Bitter Root coun- 

 try. We notice that his statements of the investigation are corroborated by Professor 

 Riley in his new book. But his investigations went still further than Professor Riley's. 

 He estimated these flies produce from 70 to 100 maggots each. These maggots, after 

 devouring the 'hopper, burrow into the earth, but the question is not yet settled as to 

 when the fly issues from it. Professor Riley says : " They issue and burrow in the 

 ground, where they contract to a brown, egg-like pupa, from which the fly issues, 

 either in the same season or not until the following spring." Mr. J. L. Humble, of 

 Bitter Root, who is aiding us in the investigation, writes under date of August 21 : 



"Agreeably to promise, I write to inform you of the results of my experiments with 

 the grasshopper and his natural enemy — the fly. I saw flies sting a number of 'hop- 

 pers (6), and caught them and put them under a glass vase. In twenty-four hours 

 from the time they were stung, the worm had entered the body of the grasshopper ; 

 and in twelve hours more (doubtless the 'hopper thought it an age), the grasshopper 

 yielded the last spark of vitality to the uncompromising greed of his internal foe." 



Now, if these flies destroy from 70 to 100 'hoppers during their lifetime, killing the 

 'hopper in 36 hours from the time the eggs are laid, and a new fly issues therefrom, we 

 have grounds for a hope that the plague may eventually be destroyed, or so greatly 

 diminished that the ravages will not be felt. — \_Eocky Mountain Husbandman, Diamond 

 City, Montana, September 6, 1877. 



There are a few left now, but they seem very weak, and many I find dead ; and on 

 examining them find a worm which eats the inside of the 'hopper and leaves only a 

 shell.— [Stephen Bradley, Agenda, Kans., July 12, 1877. 



