. Bulletin. Agriculture; Agriculture. 20 Bulletin No. 159 The gnat makes its appearance during the early spring at a time when bottoms are flooded. The larvae require rather good water with a current, and are never at home in stagnant, badly polluted pools. They attach themselves to submerged sticks, leaves, logs and rails, clinging by means of .the circle of hooks at the hind end of the body, their hold being made secure by a silken web spun over the Fig;. 5—Larva of Buffalo Gnat, from an alcofiolic specimen from Texas, x lo. When dislodged they drop down stream suspended by a silke
. Bulletin. Agriculture; Agriculture. 20 Bulletin No. 159 The gnat makes its appearance during the early spring at a time when bottoms are flooded. The larvae require rather good water with a current, and are never at home in stagnant, badly polluted pools. They attach themselves to submerged sticks, leaves, logs and rails, clinging by means of .the circle of hooks at the hind end of the body, their hold being made secure by a silken web spun over the Fig;. 5—Larva of Buffalo Gnat, from an alcofiolic specimen from Texas, x lo. When dislodged they drop down stream suspended by a silken thread let out from the mouth, and are by its use enabled to return again to the surface whence dislodged. The eggs were found placed on rocks on the banks a few inches above the surface of the water. They are placed in a close layer, are soft, ovoid in shape, except as influenced by pressure of other objects, and measure mm in length by in diameter. The young are believed to feed upon small crustaceans and other similar animal food brought to their mouths by the peculiar brushes of bristles on each side of,the head. The pupse are formed in leathery brown cases placed well down in the water on wood where they are not likely to be left dry during seasons of drought. The re- spiratory fllaments arising from each side of the thoracic region are many-branched and project beyond the opening of the case. In Kentucky in recent years the buffalo gnat has be- come almost unknown in sections where it was formerly troublesome. It is still to be found along both the Ohio and Mississippi rivers from Daviess County westward and south- ward, though some correspondents in this region say they have seen none for twenty or thirty years. It is evident, however, that the gnats do occur in noticeable numbers every season locally, and that in small numbers they are probably constantly present throughout the bottom land along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in Western Kentucky,. Please
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