166 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [June, '22 



A New Gall Midge on Rushes (Dipt., Cecidomyiidae). 



By E. P. FELT, Albany, New York. 



Very little is known of the host relations existing between 

 gall midges and rushes, though the writer found a midge larva 

 in the deformed fruit of a rush some years ago, but was unable 

 to obtain the adult. The record given below is the first Amer- 

 ican species reared from Jinicits. It is interesting to note that 

 Houard in his monograph on The Plant Galls of Europe fails 

 to list even one species from the Juncaceae. He records a 

 number of species as having been reared from the Cyperaceae 

 and in our tabulation of American species, 1 it will be noted that 

 several species (4) have been obtained from plants in this 

 family, while 33 have been reared from the grasses, Gramineae. 

 The fauna of the last named is by no means thoroughly worked 

 up and the probabilities are that careful collecting and rearing 

 would result in material additions to our sedge-inhabiting forms 

 and very likely some increase in the number of species occur- 

 ring in rushes. 



Procystiphora junci n. sp. 



A series of these interesting midges was forwarded by Mr. 

 W. H. Larrimer. West Lafayette, Indiana, accompanied by 

 the statement that they resemble somewhat the Hessian Fly, as 

 to appearance, the effect on the host plant and the two genera- 

 tions annually occurring at about the same time as in the case 

 of this wheat pest. The specimens were labeled, "reared from 

 Jnncits dudlcyi, Centralia, 111., October 6, 1921, W. 1'.. Cart- 

 wright, Collector, Centralia, No. 2111." 



In spite of the general resemblance of these midges to the 

 Hessian Fly, there is a striking chitinization and infuscation 

 of the basal segments of the ovipositor, likewise apparent in 

 the type of the genus, namely P. coloradcnsis Felt. The above 

 food habit record tends to confirm the opinion of Prof. Cock- 

 erell to the effect that the host plant of the type of this genus 

 is Carc.r. It would not be surprising if both species had a 

 somewhat similar effect upon the host plant. 



$. Length 2 mm. Antennae (possibly of this sex, though not cer- 

 1 1918, N. Y. State Mus. Bui., 200, p. 216. 



