164 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Feb. 



THE IDENTITY OF THE BETTER KNOWN 

 MIDGE GALLS. 



By E. P. Felt, Albany, N.Y. 



Recent studies in this group have shown that the old 

 generic reference to Cecidomyia has very little significance, 

 since this name has been used bv various authors in such a way 

 as to apply to almost any one of 800 or possibly 1 ,000 species 

 or more occurring in this country. This is certainly not a 

 precise definition, and in view of the fact that species which 

 have been reared and referred to genera are constantly being 

 mentioned in literature as species of Cecidomyia, we believe 

 that the following list of some of the earlier named species 

 of gall midges, giving the correct generic reference, will be of 

 material service in advancing stability in nomenclature. These 

 changes, though perhaps distasteful to some, are inevitable, 

 since the majority of American genera at least, represent 

 distinct lines of specialization correlated in large measure 

 with variations in food habits. 



TRIBE LASIOPTERARIAE. 



Midges referable to this group are usually easily recognized 

 by the thickly scaled costa, subcosta and third vein, the last 

 usually lying near the anterior margin of the wing and uniting 

 therewith some distance before the apex; claws almost invari- 

 ably unidentate. Many of these midges are dark brown, 

 ornamented with silvery-white markings and live for the most 

 part in more or less irregular, subcortical galls on the stems 

 of both herbaceous and woody plants. 



Lasioptera Meign. 



Usually brown, white marked species with 16 to 33 sessile 

 antennal segments; palpi quadriarticulate, the 5th vein forked. 

 Mostly inhabitants of subcortical tissues. 



Lasioptera vernoniae Beutm. Gall a floral, petiole or 

 midrib deformity on ironweed. On the last two it is about 

 6 mm. long and oval. 



L. vitis O.S. The gall is an irregular, frequently lobulated, 

 succulent enlargement on the leaf stalk, portions of the leaf, 

 particularly near the base, or even the tendrils of grape. It 

 may be two or three inches long and is inhabited by several 

 other species. 



L. clavula Beutm. The gall is irregularly clavate, about 

 to an inch long, on the tips of Cornus twigs. Within there is 



