A dictionary of modern gardening - University Library

—
—
ANT 40 ANT
a black stripe halfway down the middle ing towards the head, which is pointed,
of the thorax, and a curved one on each and armed with two short, black claws
side ; the body has a more decided black at the nose.
stripe down the centre, and the seg- " These maggots live in the involucra
niCMts are marked by a lineofthe same of different varieties of Lettuce, feeding
colour; legs and antenna; blackish; wings upon the grains and receptacle; and
a little smoky. The female is pale ashy when these are consumed they wriggle
grey; the eyes remote, with a dark themselves out backward, either to enchestnut-coloured
stripe on the crown; ter another seed-vessel or fall to the
!
]
the wings are similar in tint to those of' ground and become pupse.
the foregoing species, but the insects are " When the seed-stems are gathered
considerably smaller." Gard. Chron. and dying, the larvae change to pupae.
A. ceparum, Onion fly. For the fol- called shucks in Surrey, being bright
lowing particulars I am indebted to the chestnut-coloured, oval cases, which
work of M. Kollar. are rough when viewed under a lens,
" The fly lays her eggs on the leaves with two minute tubercles at the head.
of the onion, close to the earth. and two hooks and a few other tubercles
"The newly-hatched maggot bores , at the tail,
through the first leaf and then descends " I In the second week of May a few
between the leaves into the onion to its of the pupte hatch ; they have, however,
base, when it entirely destroys the bulb, ' been
observed as early as April, and as
which soon becomes rotten. It leaves late as July. The male is intense black,
the onion to undergo its transformation clothed with short hair and bristles; the
in the earth, and becomes an elliptical, eyes reddish-brown and meeting above ;
reddish-brown, wrinkled pupa, out of face inclining to chestnut colour, with a
which the perfect fly is developed in
summer in from ten to twenty days.
The later brood pass the winter in the
pupa state.
—
bright spot of the same on the crown
the fore part of the trunk bears four
[
I
;
I
'
i
'
|
,
'
varying whitish stripes ; the body is ashy
grey, the segments blackish, at the base
" The perfect insect or fly is entirely a deep black ; wings two, stained with
of an ash grey colour in the female, or black, and beautifully iridescent; the
with black stripes on the back of the base and poisers ochreous, the nervures
male; the wings clear like glass, with of the wings pitchy.
broad iridescent reflections, and yellow- The female is entirely ashy grey.
ish-brown veins. It is found through- and less bristly; the eyes not meeting
out the summer in several generations. on the crown, with a bright chestnut-
" The larva lives during that season coloured stripe between them; body
singly, and also gregariously, on the dif- oval, the apex cone-shaped; horns and
ferent sorts of leeks and onions, and doei egs blackish; wings and nervures lighter
great damage among the white onions." than in the male, which it equals in
The maggot is conical, white, and size." Gard. Chron.
smooth. It will never make its appear- ANTHONOMUS.
ance, if, at the time of sowing, a little .4.pomorM//!, Apple weevil. Mr. Curtis
of the lime from the dry purifiers of the truly observes, that "this insect corngas-works
be dug in and a less quantity mits great devastation in apple orchards,
raked in with the seed. This may now by destroying the stamens, pistil, and
be obtained almost in every district of receptacle of the flower. As soon as
GreatBritain; but should itbe neglected, the blossom buds begin to swell, the feor
not obtainable, soot applied in the
same mode, with the addition of one or
male beetle begins to deposit her eggs.
In calm weather she selects a good bud,
two plentiful waterings, during April and makes a hole in it with her proand
the present month, with strong boscis ; she fixes herself at the hole,
soapsuds, will generally prevent the lays one egg, and goes on till she has
evil. Johnson's Gard. Almanack
deposited a considerable number of eggs
A. lactuctE, Lettuce fly. Mr. Curtis in separate buds.
says, " The larva; first make their ap •The bud continues to swell and the
pearance in August, but they are abund- petals nearly expand, when suddenly
ant in September; they closely resemble the growth ceases and the petals wither
those from the Cabbage and Turnip, and assume a shrivelled appearance. If
being of a yellowish-white colour, taper- one of these flower buds be examined