Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1856-02-16
agricultural.
From the Ohio Farmer.
TIE WHEAT Fly.


This pest, too well known to the
farmer, from the rayages it annually com
mits, has received different names, being
called, for the last few years, in this Sec
ton, the Weevil This name, however
belongs to a very different insect, which
does not attack the wheat in the field
but after it has been laid up in the gran
airy. The wheat fly is nearly related to
the IIessian fly, both belonging to the
genus Cecidornyia, and is the g. tritici,
of Kirby, being common to Britain as
well as America; and many intelligent
Daturalists, in both hcmispheres, have
made it subject of investigation. We
shall, therefore, condense their observa-
tons into as short space as possible.
The first account we have of it, was
written in England, in It'll, although
it was long known previous to that time !;
but it was not until 1920, that it was
observed in Vermont Since then, it
has gradually spread over the country
The insect is very small, and resembles
a gnat. The males are rather less, and
paler in color The body is orange; the
legs; face and fcelcrs, yellow; the two
wings are transparent and iridescent,
but exhibiting considerable of blush,
tint, and are fringcd with fine hairs the
eyes are black, as also the antenne, which
in malcs are double the length of the
body, and consist of twenty four joints,
also fringed with hairs. In the female,
they are shorter, with but twelve articu-
iations. 1t appears during the time when
the wheat is in flower, and, according to
the locality, from the first of June until
the last of August, and very early or
very late wheat is apt to escape. 1t flies
during the morning and evening twilight,
and loves moist better than dry weather.
1t conceals itself during the heat of the
day near the ground and under the leaves,
The female has q fine, slender ovipositor
and upon the inner chalf deposits her
eggs, in clusters of from two to twenty,
which are attached to the place by a
gummy secretion. When Matched, the
young larvo feed upon the pollen and
the soft matter Of the grain, into which
they do not burrow 1t takes about
eight days for the eggs to hatch, and
twelve or fourteen for the young to ar
rive at their full growth 1t then casts
its skin; becomes of brighter yellow,
with greenish spot on the back moves
about, but does not feed and in two or
three days descends into the ground to
the depth of an inch, and becomes trans
formed into pupa in the following sum
mer.
Rewards have been offered for the dis
eovery of the best means to destroy this
enemy Of the wheat. Deep blowing has
been recommended, so as to bury the lar
va, or pupa, past hope of resurrection,
and this is probably as good method
as any. Also pieces of cloth saturated
with melted sulphur, and set on fire
around the edges of the field where the
fly is depositing its eggs. Likewise cast
ing dry, air-slacked lime, or unbleached
ashes, over the wheat during the same
period. This is obnoxious to the insects,
and must be beneficial to the land as a
manure. In some districts, the farmers
gave up the sowing of winter wheat, find
ing that late sown spring wheat was
likely to escape. The fly will, however,
deposit its eggs in barley, rye, oats, and
even some of the grasses, if they should
be in flower at the proper season. Il
prefers the ear just emerging from the
sheath
This is very probably a foreign insect
imported with seed wheat or other grain,
and from small beginnings they have
multiplied to myriads. We may remark
that it has two or three minute insect
foes, which deposit their eggs in those of
the fly, or into the body of the larva,
from which are Matched small maggots,
that devour the contents, and by that
means greatly hinder their multiph-
cation
The farmer will do well never to SOW
grain in the immediate vicinity of fields
infested with the fly the preceding season
as such will be more likely to suffer than
others farther removed.