52 



1884, Riley, Ann. Rept. U. S. Commr. Agri., p. 415. 

 *1888, Smith, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc, 15:205. 

 1890, Webster, Insect Life, 2:382-383. 

 1890, Packard, 5th Rept. U. S. Ent. Coram., p. 666. 

 1890, Bruner, Bui. 14 and 4th Rept. Neb. Agri. Exp. Sta., p. 149. 

 189li Riley and Howard, Insect Life, 4:189-140. 

 1893, Carman, Bui. 47, and 6th Ann. Rept. Ky. Agri. Exp. Sta., 

 3)p. 111-115. 



1893, Hagey, Insect Life, 5:350. 

 ■ 1898, Welles, Ent. News, pp. 233-235. 



1899, Johnson, Bui. 20, (n. s.) Div. Ent. U. S. Dept. Agri, pp. 62-68. 



1900, Smith, Ann. Rept. N. J. Agri. Exp. Sta., pp. 497-498. 



1901, Smith, Ann. Rept. N. J. Agri. Exp. Sta., p. 464. 



1902, Webster, Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., pp. 99-101. 



1902, Chittenden, Yearbook U. S. Dept. Agri., p. 728. 



1903, Webster, Bui. 40, (n. s.) Div. Ent. U. S. Dept. Agri.. p 94. 

 1905, Holland, Ent. News, 16:280. 



THE CATAL'PA DIPLOSIS. 



Cecidomyia catalpae Comst. 



Order Diptera; Family Cecidomyiidae. 



The larvae of this midge infest the seed pods of the cataipa. The 



■eggs are deposited by the adult in the immature seed pods; the small, 



.active, yellow, footless maggots ■ feeding there and causing the contents 



to decay, and the pods to turn brown and dry up prematurely. When 



disturbed the little maggots wiggle out and fall to the ground. They 



have the power of leaping into the air if placed upon a firm surface. 



This is done by bringing the two ends of the body together and straight- 



-ening out with a sudden jerk, sometimes jumping several inches. The 



larvae leave the pods and enter the ground to pupate, emerging in a few 



days as small yellow midges, with dusky wings which ha^ve a bluish irri- 



-descent appearance. 



When they confine their work to the seed pods the harm is merely 

 the prevention of seed production, but from observations made during 

 Ihe summer of 1905 the writer is led to believe that the same species 

 attacks the tender tips of the shoots of the current season's growth, and 

 in this case causes even greater injury than in the former. 



At several points in southwestern Ohio, injury to the tender tips of 

 vigorously growing two and three-year-old cataipa trees in nursery rows 

 was observed during August and September, 1905. Usually two or 

 three inches of the tip began to wither and turn brown, finally becoming 



* Description. 



