. Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture; Agriculture -- United States. 14 BULLETIN 643, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. of the ovaries of watermelon bloom that in dry weather the remains of the bloom wither and become mummified, as shown in figure 15. An examination of the buds of the male bloom in any field through- out the coastal regions of the Island of Oahu, particularly during the months from March to November, will reveal the severity of attack centered on this portion of the plant. Wherever the buds have been attacked, a whit- ish gumlike excretion exudes which h
. Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture; Agriculture -- United States. 14 BULLETIN 643, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. of the ovaries of watermelon bloom that in dry weather the remains of the bloom wither and become mummified, as shown in figure 15. An examination of the buds of the male bloom in any field through- out the coastal regions of the Island of Oahu, particularly during the months from March to November, will reveal the severity of attack centered on this portion of the plant. Wherever the buds have been attacked, a whit- ish gumlike excretion exudes which hardens about the point of attack. On cutting the buds lengthwise, batches of eggs can be seen among the folds of the corolla, or in the stamens and receptacle, as shown in figure 11 (p. 12). As the eggs are pure white and are in clusters of 2 to 10 or more, they are seen easily with- out the aid of a lens. If the eggs have been laid from 2 to 6 days, the inside of the bud may have been alread}^ eaten out by the rap- idly developing larvae. Buds attacked before they are half grown usually are destroyed com- pletely before the blossom unfolds. Figure 11 shows three stages in the destruction of the staminate bloom. The bud a is a mass of decay within; the stamens have been devoured and the larvpe already have begun to burrow about the base; 6 shows a bud that has been severed by the feeding of the larvae and nas fallen over under its own weight; and g is the upright stem of the bud, after the essential parts of the bloom have been ruined and have fallen to the ground. Although attack may occur so late in the development of the male bloom that the corolla can unfold, it is more often than not that eggs, or even young larva?, can be seen on the inside of the corolla when the flower is in full bloom. The melon fly never attacks the bloom after the corolla has Fig. 13.—ris tilla to bloom of squash in which larviB of tho melon fly have so de- voured the unferti- lized ovar
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