. The American farmer's hand-book ... Agriculture. NOXIOUS UMSEcTS. 643 the scutellum projecting, rounded posteriorly ; the breast sometimes golden- yellow ; the abdomen brownish; the wings blackish ; the golden-yellow of the base is sometimes continued to the veins, where it appears lighter, and disappears by degrees about the middle. The halteres are yellowish-white;. the legs golden-yellow at the base of the thigh. The female has a black streak on the abdomen. The larva is spindle-shaped, and whitish; the posterior end suddenly diminished ; the head bent inwards, and transparent above. A sh
. The American farmer's hand-book ... Agriculture. NOXIOUS UMSEcTS. 643 the scutellum projecting, rounded posteriorly ; the breast sometimes golden- yellow ; the abdomen brownish; the wings blackish ; the golden-yellow of the base is sometimes continued to the veins, where it appears lighter, and disappears by degrees about the middle. The halteres are yellowish-white;. the legs golden-yellow at the base of the thigh. The female has a black streak on the abdomen. The larva is spindle-shaped, and whitish; the posterior end suddenly diminished ; the head bent inwards, and transparent above. A short line is remarked within, which is the intestinal canal. It is dirty white below ; in younger specimens this coloring appears like nine spots on each side, and has a row of still smaller spots in the middle. When the larvae are fully grown, they unite in regular segments round the wheat; they are then provided with very small hooks or notches towards the head. Their length is three twentieths of an inch, and their breadth one twentieth. The perfect insect appears in June, and perhaps later; the female lays from one to eight eggs, in the autumn. The only practicable mode of destroying this insect is to wait till the grain is reaped, and then burn the stubble in which the pupae lie concealed. If it should be impossible to do this, sow the fields next year with any other grain than wheat; better, perhaps, not to sow wheat anywhere near them, that the flies may not carry their eggs there. Wheat Midge. — This is another small species of midge, injurious to wheat. When the wheat is in blossom, it is sometimes attacked by a small fly, of an orange-color, which lays its eggs in the middle of the blossom. When the eggs are hatched, the larvae prevent the fructification of the grains, probably by eating the pollen. The perfect insect slightly resembles the common midge, but is smaller. The body is orange-yellow ; the wings clear and transparent, and hairy at the edges ; the eyes are
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpubl, booksubjectagriculture
