766 
ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW YORK 
MIDGE. PLT. HEAD DESCRIBED. 
hand specimens which we gather in other situations than on 
wheat, those which we sweep from grass and weeds, or capture 
from the window panes in our dwellings, where this species occurs 
imperfectly developed perhaps, from having been nurtured in the 
grasses on aliment less nutricious and palatable to it than that of 
the wheat, and where we find it in company with other midges 
similar to it in their color and size. Every one will be sensible, 
from these remarks, that when found in other situations than on 
the wheat it will often be impossible to determine whether a spe¬ 
cimen we have in hand is this or some kindred species. We can 
only recognize it then, as being the wheat midge, when it clearly 
shows certain characters, which we regard as the essential marks 
of this species, all of which marks no other species except this 
can possess. And the marks whereby I pronounce a specimen 
found elsewhere than on wheat to be this species, are 
The body nearly one-tenth of an inch long, bright orange or lemon yellow, and tarnished 
or slightly smoky on the back forward of the wings; the wings clear and glassy and having 
a small cross-vein near their base; the antennte about as long as the body and composed of 
twelve oblong joints which are narrower in their middles and separated by short pedicels. 
We are assured a midge-fly is this species when it possesses all 
these characters. But many flies also pertain to this species 
which do not fully possess them, some departing from the stand¬ 
ard in one, others in another particular, whereby it happens that 
no one of these characters is constant and found in all the mem¬ 
bers of this species. 
We proceed next to describe the different parts of this insect, 
as they appear in the female (Plate ii, fig. 1,) this alone being the 
sex which we meet with in the wheat fields. 
Its length is usually about 0.08, but dwarfs arc common, as small as 0.05, and I have 
even met with individuals which alive measured but 0.03. 
The head is of a spheroidal or flattened globular form and is hold in a vertical position. 
The eyes are very large, occupying two-thirds of the surface of the head. They arc of a 
coal black color and arc separated from each other above, merely by a slight slender cleft, so 
that when viewed in front they appear like a continuous broad black band surrounding the 
head and interrupted only below at the mouth. The face is pale yellow. The antennro aro 
of a deep brown or black color, less intense than the eyes. They aro about equal to the 
body in length, and are composed of twelve regular joints, in addition to tho spherical pale 
yellow eminences on which they are inserted, and which should perhaps bo regarded as form¬ 
ing an additional joint, although so dissimilar in shape and color. Each joint (sco Plato ii 
fig. 7,) is oblong, with a very obvious contraction in its middle, and is surrounded by a 
whirl or row of hairs near its base and another near its apex. Tho joints are about thrioe a g 
long as they aro broad, their thickness being a littlo less than that of the legs. They ar 0 
connected together by slender threads or pedicels intervening between each joint, which 
pedicels are about a fourth as long as the joints. The palpi aro pale yellow and clothed with 
shortish hairs. 
The thorax or forobody is egg-shaped and broadest immediately back of tho wing-sookets. 
