THE MELON FLY IN HAWAII, 15 



EGGPLANT. 



F'roggatt (26) in 1909 reports that he and F. H. Howlett reared 

 the melon fly from maggot-infested melons, cucumbers, bitter gourds, 

 and eggplant. Maxwell-Lefroy (18) in 1907 and Fletcher (43) in 

 1914 do not mention the eggplant among the host plants of the melon 

 fly. Fullaway (44) in 1913 lists the eggplant among garden crops 

 affected by the melon fly, and Severin (45) in 1914 gives data on the 

 length of the egg and larval stages in eggplant and lists this plant 

 as a host, although he does not state that he found it normally in- 

 fested in the field. Experimental work was undertaken to determine 

 to what extent, if any, infestation occurs in the field and under forced 

 conditions in the laboratory. Sound well-grown fruits were placed 

 in jars containing females which had been ovipositing regularly in 

 tomatoes. No eggs were laid in these fruits. One fruit containing 

 a soft, slightly decayed spot on one side was similarly placed with 

 ovipositing females for one day. Eggs were deposited in the de- 

 cayed area only and later 9 flies emerged. A muskmelon allowed to 

 hang in a jar containing females for an hour would have produced 

 several hundred or more flies. 



One hundred and fifteen fruits of all ages taken April 26 to 30, 

 1914, from a field at Moiliili showed no evidence of infestation when 

 on May 2 to 5 they were examined by removing the skin for the 

 detection of egg punctures and larval chambers. Ten fruits picked 

 at Mokuleia on April 18, 1914, from the midst of badly infested 

 private gardens, showed no infestation when held individually over 

 sand in glass jars. One thousand fruits of all sizes and conditions of 

 ripeness and soundness were examined by the junior writer during 

 November, 1915, by carefully removing the skin of each fruit and 

 examining with a lens all decayed spots. No melon-fly larvae were 

 found, although in one fruit directly beneath the skin were found 

 several well-grown larvae of the Mediterranean fruit fly. The 

 senior writer has personally examined superficially during a three- 

 year period many thousand eggplants in the fields of Moiliili, 

 Waikiki, and Waialua districts, Oahu, without once detecting indi- 

 cations of attack. All fruits individually examined by the removal 

 of skin were taken from the midst of badly infested areas where 

 pumpkins and tomatoes could not be grown successfully because of 

 the severity of attack. 



WATER LEMONS (PASSIFLORA). 



The fruit of the water lemon (Passiflora laurifolia) is found on 

 the Hawaiian markets in season and is not as a rule infested by the 

 melon fly. The writer has never seen infested fruits on the market 



