DIPTERA. 
57 
up their abode and feed upon its tissues. This does not immediately, nor in a direct 
manner, cause the death of the plant, but, weakening its stem, renders it liable to 
be beaten down by wind or rain, and causes it to bear inferior corn if it reach 
maturity. Towards the end of July the larvae are full grown, and pass into 
the pupal stage; while at the end of August or the beginning of September the 
adults again appear and lay their eggs on winter wheat, the larvae that are hatched 
from these passing the winter in the pupal state and completing their development 
in the spring. Nearly allied is the wheat-midge (C. tritici), which, as its name 
indicates, also attacks the wheat-plant, to which it at times does great damage. 
The female lays her eggs—often in numbers—not on the leaves or stems, but in 
the heart of the blossom, and their presence either entirely prevents the formation 
of any seed, or renders that produced of a poor kind. 
There are many other species of gall-midges which attack different kinds of 
plants, such as the willow, hawthorn, etc., but lack of space forbids further refer- 
UEVELOPMENT OF HESSIAN FLY. 
a, Female enlarged and of natural size ; b, Abdomen of male ; c, Pupa ; cl, Skin of larva forming pupa-case ; e, Larva 
seen in profile (the line representing its nat. size); /, Larva from above (enlarged); cj, Wheat-stalks infested with 
larvae. 
ence to them. One only (Miastor metrolocis) demands attention on account of the 
remarkable powers of reproduction of its larvae. In the majority of cases insects 
are only able to reproduce their kind after attaining the adult state, the larvae 
being merely the young modified for a free and active existence; but the larvae 
of this midge, which are found under the bark of trees, possess the remarkable 
power of producing within their bodies living young. These grow to a certain size 
at the expense of their parent, whose vitals they devour, then rupture the empty 
skin and start life on their own account. The second larvae repeat the same 
process of reproduction, and so the phenomenon continues through the cold months 
of the year. At the beginning of the summer the process comes to an end, and 
the larvae fulfil their destiny and give rise to mature insects in the ordinary 
manner. 
