20 
BULLETIN 643, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
in diameter they may reach maturity, although before they reach 
maturity pumpkins and squashes may support numerous colonies of 
larvae in open surface wounds and become badly deformed. Out of 
254 nearly full-grown pumpkins growing at Kahuku during the 
winter months, 250 were found variously deformed. As man}? - as 650 
adults have been reared from a pumpkin not more than 4 inches 
long; the staminate bloom while still a bud may support as many, 
as 37 well-grown -larvae. 
TOMATOES. 
Tomatoes are very susceptible to attack. All tomatoes offered for 
sale in Honolulu are likely to be infested, as shown by the reports of 
Fig. 19. — Cross section of young watermelon, showing destruction of interior by larvae of 
melon fly. Reduced one-fourth. (Authors' illustration.) 
the market fruit-fly inspector covering several months. Fifteen ripe 
or partly ripe fruits examined at Hauula on March 21, 1915, con- 
tained eggs or larvae. Such severe infestation is so general during 
the warmer months that data are superfluous. Under climatic condi- 
tions less favorable for the increase of the melon fly the tomato 
probably would be found to be less susceptible to attack than cucur- 
bitaceous crops. The fruits of the small wild tomatoes and the spiny 
yellow-fruited Solanum, common in Hawaii, all are found growing 
about fields of cucurbitaceous crops, but never yet have been found 
infested. During January and February fields of tomatoes may pro- 
duce a large percentage of sound fruits, owing to the effect of the 
