28 Second Report on Economic Zoology . 
This, after the barley was cut, looked very promising all over the 
field, hut since lias been gradually going back, and! now there is 
hardly any on the field of eighteen acres, except in spots and one end 
where there is a moderate crop, but none is worth cutting. As far 
as I can make out the field lias not grown clover for six years, and 
therefore it can hardly be clover-sick. Can you give any idea of the 
cause of failure, etc.” 
To this the following answer was sent with accompanying 
Report : — 
“ The clover has been destroyed by a pest that has been very 
prevalent in Kent this year, namely, the Clover Midge ( Cecidomyia 
trifolii ). A serious attack occurred near Herne, others at Gravesend, 
Huntingdon, etc. 
“ The larvae you send in the tube (small yellow orange maggots) 
are the culprits. They are of the second brood referred to in the 
enclosed report. The small green caterpillar sent is not the cause 
of the damage. 
“ There is no remedy for such an attack. I should if the crop is 
worth saving give some stimulating dressing; if it is very badly 
damaged it would be best to plough up deeply so as to bury the 
larvae many of which have now gone to earth — fresh flies will 
appear and the progeny of these will do damage mentioned in the 
report.” 
Clover is frequently attacked by small red maggots, which are to 
be found in the outer layers of the roots and amongst the tufts of 
young leaves, often buried deeply in the centre of the leaf tufts, at 
other times between the two sides of a young bent leaf. 
This insect is not uncommon on clover and vetches, and is known 
as Cecidomyia trifolii , Fabricius. It maybe found on wild species of 
vetches. The maggots are of all sizes and various tints of orange and 
yellow and, as in all this group of insects, quite legless. There are 
two closely related species known also as Clover Midges, viz., 
Cecidomyia leyuminicola and C. lathyri. This Clover Midge can 
easily be told from them by the shape of the small ventral process 
under the head end — the “ anchor process.” The maggots also attack 
the lower leaves of the clover, fastening them together and forming 
really galled structures in which the larva} change to pupa}. There 
are evidently two broods in the year, the larvae found now hatching 
in the summer, and the flies of this generation seem to lay their eggs 
on the clover leaves generally, and galled structures are formed by 
them. The second brood live on the decaying roots and in the 
growing tuft of the clover and seem to cause its decay. 
