EUXESTA STIGMATIAS LOEW, AN OTITID FLY INFESTING EAR CORN IN PUERTO RICO

Abstract

The otitid fly Euxesta stigmatias Loew is a serious pest of corn, especially roasting ears for market purposes, in Puerto Rico. The maggots have been observed in all sections of the island and at all seasons of the year. The pest at present seems to be restricted to a tropical habitat, so far as collection records of this insect are known. In most fields examined a large percentage of the ears were infested, and many entire ears were destroyed. Under laboratory conditions the fly was reared from egg to adult in as few as 18 days; so there are many generations during a year. Although no special studies were made on control, in some experiments in control of the corn ear worm there was a reduction in the number of ears infested with maggots of Euxesta stigmatias, which suggests that some of these measures may also be useful in controlling this pest.