26 BULLETIN 491, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 



female deposits batch after batch of eggs in the breaks in the epi- 

 dermis and superficial wounds made by larvae developing from previ- 

 ously deposited eggs. 



Process of oviposition. — The process of oviposition may be readily 

 seen at all seasons of the year in Hawaii. Yv T hen the female has 

 found a suitable place for oviposition the abdomen is bent at nearly 

 right angles to the long axis of the body by drawing its tip toward 

 the legs. Having secured a proper purchase, the ovipositor is forced 

 into the host to depths varying to J inch. The depth of the inci- 

 sion made by the ovipositor varies with the succulency of the host, 

 hence the small chamber for the reception of the eggs may lie directly 

 beneath the epidermis or fully the length of the eggs beneath it. 

 The data included in Table II indicate that the female does not de- 

 posit more than 37 eggs at one time, although many punctures con- 

 tain but one egg. The number of eggs found in any one puncture, 

 especially where the number is large, is not indicative of the number 

 of eggs deposited during one period of oviposition, as many females 

 may oviposit through the same break in the epidermis, or the same 

 female ma} 7 return more than once to deposit fresh batches of eggs. 

 This is particularly true in the case of host fruits which may offer 

 obstacles to egg laying. 



Bate of oviposition. — No data have ever been published on the daily 

 rate of oviposition, except by the writers in their preliminary paper 

 (46). The data included in Tables II, III, and IV record the rate 

 of oviposition not only of individual females which, from the time 

 they began ovipositing until they died, were kept well supplied with 

 host fruits, but also of others which had been deprived of host fruits 

 until they were over 9 months of age. 



In Table II is recorded the rate of oviposition of 7 females which 

 were given every opportunity to oviposit in preferred host fruits, 

 tomatoes, throughout life. No fly deposited more than 37 eggs a 

 day. Fly No. 1 deposited 14, 19, 13, 29, 16, 19, 16, 12, 17, 7, 9, 16, 7, 

 12, 37, 25, 24, 21, 28, 6, and 18 eggs, respectively, per day during the 

 first three months (summer months) after depositing her first eggs. 

 During the same period fly No. 3 deposited but 13, 9, 15, 10, 4, 19, 3, 

 18, 4, and 3 eggs, while fly No. 4 deposited 3, 10, 25, 6, 11, 11, 6, 11, 1, 

 3, 16, 10, 9, and 24 eggs. Fly No. 1 deposited in the winter months 

 during the seventh, eighth, and ninth months of life 10, 2, 18, 14, 15, 

 20, 13, 9, and 3 eggs. Fly No. 4 deposited during the ninth and last 

 month of life (winter month) but 3, 2, 3, 4, 1, 1, and 1 eggs. 



The oviposition records of Table III were made by females given 

 no opportunity to oviposit in host fruits until over 3 months old. 

 Fly No. 1 deposited 21, 14, 4, 1, 10. 18, 3, 3, 16, 2, 8, 13, 13. 8, 10, 10, 12, 

 9, and 16 eggs, respectively, per day during the first 3 months (sum- 



