Hessian Fly

Hessian fly, Cecidomyia destructor Say (family Cecidomyidae, order Diptera), a pest of cereal grains (rye, wheat, barley). In May it lays eggs on the upper side of lower leaves, at the base of the stem. The larvae live between the leaf sheath and the stem; plants affected by them weaken and produce either completely empty ears or ears with a small number of grains. Then the stems, hollowed out in the lower part, easily bend from wind and rain or break off completely, thanks to which the field has the appearance of being trampled. The larva pupates in a false cocoon, from which in June-July the second generation of flies emerges. The latter choose for laying eggs either late spring cereals or winter cereals of early sowings; the larvae of the second (and third) generation of H. fly act on their hosts (i.e., plants) differently than the spring generation. In the main part of the stem, swellings form from the sucking of the larvae, in the area of which, between the stem and the base of the leaf, the larvae themselves live. The affected plant stops growing and wilts. In the USSR there are 2-3 generations per year, depending on the latitude of the place. H. f. is easily introduced with straw or grain.

The affected plant stops growing and wilts. In the USSR there are 2-3 generations per year, depending on the latitude of the place. H. f. is easily introduced with straw or grain.