Preliminary Report on a Study of the Biology of Lixophaga Diatraeae TNS1

The Tachinid, Lixophagae diatraeae Tns., is the most important larval parasite of the sugar cane mothborer, Diatraea saccharalis Fabr., in Cuba. Parasitism reaches as high as 40% during spring and summer. The flies are larviparous and borer larvae can be inoculated by dissecting gravid females and placing maggots on the host. There are three larval stages, of which part of the first and second are attached to the trachea of the host while the third is always free within the host body. Six to seven days are required for the pre-larviposition period, 5.5 to 13 days in the larval- stages, and 9 to 11 days in the pupal stage, making 20.5 to 32 days for the complete life cycle.