Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-06-20
Characteristics of the Hessian Fly.
From the Rockford CHI. Reporter.

we are indebted to a correspondent for
the following account Of the Hcssian Flv
(Cecidornyaa Oestructor,) condensed from
DR.. Harris Treatise on the Insects of New
England injurious to Vegetation
Ibis insect was first observed in the year
1875, on Staten Island, and at Fatbush, on
the west end of Long Island, New York. 1t
Is properly small, two-winged gnat, which
lays its eggs in winter or fall, in wheat when
the grain has sprouted and begins to show
leaves. The eggs are deposited in the long
itudlnal cavities between the little ridges Of
the blades from which, in from four to fifteen
days, according to the state of the weather,
very small worms or maggots appear. The
maggets, when they first come out of their
shells, are of a pale red color; forthwith they
crawl down the leaves and work, their way
between them and the main stalk, passing
cownwards till they come to Joint, Just
above which they remain, little below the
surface of the ground, with the head towards
the root of the plant. They thus remain sta
tionary until their transformations are com
pleted. They do not eat the stalk, or pene-
trate 1t, as is by some supposed. hut are
wholly nou,ished by the sap, which they ap-
pear to take by suction.
lney SOoH lose tnelr redQiS1 color, turn
pale. and are clouded with whitish spots, and
greenish strip may be seen in the middle
of their bodies under the skin. As they in
crease in size, they become imbedded in
the side of the stem by the pressure of their
bodies upon the growing plant, and one mag
got thus placed seldom destroys the plant =
but when two or three are fixed in this man
ner around the stem, they weaken and inn
poverish it, and cause it to fall down or with
er and die. They usually come to their full
size in about six weeks, and then measure
threetwenteths of an inch in length Their
skin now gradually hardens, becomes brown
ish and soon changes to bright chestnut
color, and resembles hax-s seed. hence it is
called the "flaX-seed state" In two or three
weeks after this change of color, the insect
becomes entirely detached from the old larva
skin. and lies within it a motionless grub.
Within this shell the pupa gradually advances to the
winged state until the end of April the beginning of
May when the flies make their escape by breaking through
one end OF their she'll. The body of the Hessian fly
measures about the tenth Of inch in length head
attcnm and thorax black the hind body tawny more
less widely marked each wing with black and cloth
ed with fine greyish hairs The wings expand about a
quarter OF an nch more and blacksh except at
the base, where they very tawnythey are fringed
with short hairs. and rounded the tip The legs arc
pale red or brownsh and the feet black The aten ar.
joined and surrounded with whors Of short hairs The
es which come out in the spring. lay their eggs the
leaves VI both fall and spring wheat The maggots
Matched from these become stationary and the flax
seed state in june or July in New England They are
generally transformed to flies in autumn Asa prevent
I've is recommended that the stouter varieties of whea,
should be chosen aud the ground kept good condition
Burning the stubbe Immediately after harvest and then
blowing and narrowing the land Is highly recommended