The adult of this insect is a small two-winged fly, not unlike 
a house-fly in general appearance, but more diminutive and of 
a lighter form. The species is known at times to do consider¬ 
able injury over limited areas, it is widely distributed, having 
been reported from New Jersey and New York to Indiana, Illi¬ 
nois, and Missouri. It was first described under the name 
Ant hornyia zeas by Dr. Riley, in his First Report as State En¬ 
tomologist of Missouri (p. 154), his specimens having been reared 
from maggots sent him from New Jersey in 1868. 
Mr. B. D. Walsh next refers to this species in the American 
Entomologist, Yol. I., 1869, (p. 224), maggots having been sent 
him from Eureka, Missouri. 
In his First Report on the Insects of New York (1882, p. 
199), Professor J. A. Lintner gives a brief bibliography of the 
species and an economic treatment, following Riley; and Mr. F. 
M. Webster treats the species briefly in the Report of the In¬ 
diana Agricultural Society for 1885 (p. 181). 
Life History— The life history of this insect is as yet incom¬ 
plete, no continuous experimental work having been done upon 
the subject throughout the year. Miscellaneous observations 
and breeding-cage work at my office give us, however, evidence 
fairly complete that only a single brood occurs in normal con¬ 
ditions, the larvae of which have been observed from May 17 to 
June 13, and pupae from June 7 to 15, imagos emerging from 
June 11 to August 7. 
Description. Larva. (Plate II., Fig. 6.)—The mature larva is 
about 6 mm. long and 1 mm. thick at the widest part, which 
is near the truncate posterior extremity, the body nearly cylin¬ 
drical from this to near the middle, thence tapering with in¬ 
creasing rapidity to the pointed anterior end. It is dirtv whitish 
or yellowish white in color, the last segment darker." Twelve 
segments are distinctly seen, the surface of all except the first 
and last smooth and shining, concave, rising at either end into 
the sutural line, which is elevated into a ridge, especially thick¬ 
ened and prominent beneath, and provided throughout with 
numerous short transverse rows of minute scabrous points. 
The head is comparatively short and small, white and of a 
membranous appearance, alutaceous and transversely striated. 
The vertex is gibbous, but the front is deeply bifid. ‘Each lobe 
bears at its apex a small sensory area in a dark ring, probably 
a rudimentary palpus; a short distance back of this is the 
antenna, which is two-jointed, the first joint tawny, about as 
long as thick, the second glassy and smaller. Beneath, each 
lobe ensheathes the basal part of a long and slender black claw¬ 
like mouth-hook, curved strongly downwards and a little out¬ 
wards. The black color of their adjacent bases shows through 
the skin of the posterior ventral surface of the head. The mouth 
—2 E. 
