ANOTHER ORCHARD PEST.

Manawatu Herald, Volume VII, Issue 238, 29 January 1889, Page 2

ANOTHER ORCHARD PEST.

About two months ago, Mr J. Herbert Hankins, the well known solicitor of Palmerston North, informed us that his fruit trees were covered with flies, different from the ordinary house fly, and that they were gadually darkening the bark. We accordingly asked him to watch their progress and to let us know of any new developments. He has now obligingly sent us a sample of* the fly and a portion of a branch. The fly is smaller than a house fly, wo should say about two thirds of its length, with a black body, but .ill that portion extending from the neck to its tail is marked with four yollow bands, about tho width of n piece of crochet cotton, the black spaces being equal to twice tin-

.width of the yellow bands; Thie j body, is very slimy. The branches ofiKe frSlit trees', are as black as they can be, reseETO-fag? n jj^ n g s ? much, as though they Ha*, beeit smothered in soot. The buds show signs of being able to break through, but the whole beauty of bark is ; utterly loSi Mr Hankins, naturally ! flew to, the recognised colonial an- ; thority, ; Sir' James Hector*, n i tui*n obtained ain 1 opinion front Mr Maskell to this effect; "The fly sent is~ a' dipterous insect, tf£ the Family AeWe'endee, Westwood. : Henops Brunneus __„ttoh' jjcatalogue ip. 22). I dont think the ny ha* any danfagin'sr powers ; the rostrum is so short (practical./ obsolete) that it cannot possibly feed oif the plant juices. The black" smut" accompany the flies is a collection of thousands of eggs ot some insect or other ; presumably of this fly, but as the eggs, larvee and puptc of the genus are unknown I cannot say positively that they do not belong to some other insect. I have set them to | hatch, on the chance of getting some larva*. I think Mr Hankins need not fear any damage" from these flies." This is the position at preI sent, and. even supposing that the fly cannot hurt the trees owing to being unable to pierce the bark, I fancy the intolerable nuisance the : flies when hatched from the myriads ' of eggs will be. We should strongly ; recommend painting the trees over ' with the receipt Aye gave for the P Aphis blight, viz. castor oil and soft I soap, so as to prevent the successful I hatching. We have the specimens I at our oflice and shall be glad to lfet j any one interested inspect them.