South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1836-07-02
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THE HESSI AN FLY.
From the Genessee Farmer.

From the 0enessee Farmer.
One of our new Subscribers in Ohio
has expressed wish to see disserta
ton on the Hessian fly, and as ii may
be acceptable TO others of our readers
we shall attempt to furnish briefly, The
most important Of the information
which we possess respecting il.
This insect belongs to the order
Dipters, which includes all those in
sects having only two wings, and to
the genus 1ipalar. The number Of
species belonging to this genus are nu
tnerous, amounting to more than one
hundred and thirty Of those hitherto
known and described, and as many OF
these resemble each other, care is ne.
cessary in observations on the Hessian
fly, that no mistakes are made in iden.
tifying the species:
The following description of the
Hessian fly, Iipula paginaHs tritici
tritics Of MITCHELL is given by DR..
Akely, in the American Magazine and
Critical Review, Of August, 1917. DIT
is very small black insect, not SO
large as the moscheto Of this place .
with two fine transparent wings, fro m
the roots Of which, three ribs diverge,
as through the leaf Of a plant. The
body, when examined by microscope,
Is found to be divided into four seq.
ments, with a few hairs observable on
each. The legs are Of yellowish
cast, and transparent; the head indec-
ted, with a short proboseis."
This, in common with nearly all o.
other inseets, passes through four DIS
tinet stages Of existence 1, the egg !;
2, the larva, or maggot; 8, the pupa,
or dormant state f.; and a, the perfect
0,nged insect. Ia this part of the
country, il passes through two genera
tons in one season, and attacks the
wheat both in the spring and the au.
tumn. The fly, or perfect insect, de-
posts its eggs in the autumn, soon after
DslS yGapf Rf9' gaPPpsssE sseys ground
that par, which forms the main stem
or straw and as near the root as posi-
BILE. sit resembles, at first, a very
small white nit, and as it grows larger
becomes sluggish and almost mani
male maggot, of a white color. In this
state, the proper and mos, natural food
is the sap or juice Of that kind Of green
wheat which has the most delicate
straw."F 1t remains in this situation
through the whole winter, apparently
in the chrysalis state, without suffering
any injury from the frost or snow /;
and in tho spring, as soon as the wealth
er becomes warm enough, and gener-
ally about the time vegetation has
fairly commenced, il is transformed
into the fly. In this state i, performs
the functions necessary for continual
ton of Its species. 1t lays its egg be-
tween the straw or stem and the sheath
which encloses it, as before described,
and dies; and generation succeeds.
These eggs are soon hatched by the
warmth Of the season and the young
insects may be discovered 10 the form
of small white maggots, within the
sheath Of the straw, and just above the
lower joints. They here continue to
feed upon the sap and tender fibres OF
the plant, by which it either withers
and dies, or is stunted in its growth 50
tina. the grain does not arrive at matu-
rity. They are changed into the pppa
state before harvest, and at this season,
while the wheat is ye, green, their
presence may be readily detected by
walking through the field and pressing
the heads with the fingers; those which
feel soft, and untitled with grains, are
those which have been injured by the
insect, and if the stalk be examined
they will be found near the lower
joints, somewha, resembling flax
seed, but smaller and slenderer, and Of
aldsrk brown color. They continue
in this state ill after harvest, and may
be found upon the stubble in the field
Early in autumn they pass into the
winged state, and lay their eggs in TIT
young plants OF wheat as before de
scribed.
When the fly is about 10 issue from
the pupa into the slate of perieclinsect
it dsengages itself by boring smal
round hole through the brown case il
which it is enclosed, and through ,ht
sheath Of wheat just opposite TO III,
place where ii lodged, and this hol'
may be easily discovered as long a
the audible remains eniire.f
Its body is about one-ninth of an incl
in length.
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