Frit FIy Damage on Wheat.

This article focuses on the damage caused by frit fly on wheat. It was learned that at the beginning of July 1954, damaged ears of spring wheat were received from Lawshall, West Suffolk in England. The damage was confined to the tips, extending from half an inch to 1½ inches down the ear. The affected spikelets were under-developed, with the grain entirely missing, atrophied, or occasionally partly destroyed. There were also signs of feeding on the rachis. A very clear line of division could be seen between the affected and the healthy portions of each ear. The damaged part appears like a whip tail on top of the broader, normally developed portion. A single larva and several pupae were found on the damaged ears. The adult flies were identified as Oscinella frit.