DIPTERA. 
7i 
spiny fly (Echinomyia 
ferox), WITH LAKVA 
and pupa (nat. size). 
representative of the family found in Britain. It is about two-thirds of an inch 
long, with a short, broad, oval abdomen; the shining black of its body being 
relieved by the reddish yellow colour of the head and the base of the wings. The 
allied species ( E . ferox) represented in the illustration is brownish, with the 
abdomen tinted with red at the sides. Belonging to the same subfamily is 
the Australian fly Rutilicc, remarkable among the order for 
being ornamented with bright metallic green spots. By rea¬ 
son of their external form and general colouring the flies of 
the subfamily Anthomyince appear to the casual observer 
to be nothing but ordinary house-flies; but they may be 
distinguished from the latter by the absence of the apical 
transverse vein on the wing (marked d 011 tire figure of the 
fly’s wing on p. 48). The scales, moreover, which cover the 
kalteres are very small, and lead up to the condition found 
in those flies in which they are absent. The larvae, which 
differ from those of the house and blow-flies in being covered with spines, live on 
plants of various kinds, those that have attracted the most attention being the 
species that attack cultivated vegetables, such as onions, cabbages, lettuces, radishes, 
and the like. Those members of the family having no scales covering the balancers 
and assigned to the subfamily Trypetince are generally of small size, many 
being very obnoxious on account of the damage inflicted by their larvae on 
various marketable vegetables. Of the numerous species it is only possible to 
notice a few. The first is the paintecl-winged as¬ 
paragus-fly (Plcdyparea pceciloptera), which, as its 
name indicates, has variegated wings, and attacks 
asparagus. The male is smaller than the female, as 
shown by the length of the lines in the figure, and 
the latter sex may be recognised by the possession 
of a long ovipositor, by means of which she deposits 
her eggs between the scales of the head of the 
asparagus. The laying takes place about the begin¬ 
ning of May, and in two or three weeks, according 
to the season, the eggs hatch, and the larvae burrow 
into the stalk of the plant. In a fortnight or so 
the latter reach maturity, and, after passing through the pupa stage, develop 
into flies towards the end of June. Many more or less nearly allied species are 
found in England and other countries, but it will suffice to indicate a few of the 
more important. Of these the cherry-fly (Spilogrciphia cerasi) and the olive-fly 
(Dacus oleai) devour in their larval stages the fruits after which they are named; 
while the various species of the genus Ceratitis similarly attack the orange. 
Recently C. capitata was very destructive to the mandarin oranges in Malta, and 
seems to have been first introduced into the island about twenty years ago. I his 
fly is lively and hardy, as shown by the fact that a specimen kept under a glass 
shade without food maintained its activity for twelve days. When egg-laying, the 
female chooses the side of the fruit exposed to the sun, where it perforates the rind 
so that the larvm upon hatching start at once to devour the nutritious food. The 
asparagus fly, S' male ; female. 
(a) Front view of head. 
