NOTES ON THE DODDER GALL WEEVIL, 

 SMICRONYX SCULPTICOLLIS CASEY 



HARRY B. WEISS and ERDMAN WEST 

 New Jersey Department of Agriculture 



Numerous galls were noted on dodder, CusciUa cephalanthi 

 Eng., at Monmouth Junction, N. J., during the first part of 

 August. Upon collecting and cutting some of the swellings 

 open, several beetles were obtained. At this time most of the 

 galls contained larvae and a few pups. The adult was identified 

 as Smicronyx sciilpticollis which identification was confirmed 

 later by Mr. C. W. Leng. During the last of August quite a 

 few of the galls contain adults nearly ready to emerge; in 

 fact a few beetles will have emerged by this time. However, 

 most of them leave the galls during the first half of September 

 and later in central New Jersey, emergence taking place 

 through a circular opening in the side. 



Each gall is single celled and consists usually of a broadly 

 fusiform or subglobular enlargement of the peduncle of the 

 flower cluster, which normally is comparatively thick and 

 fleshy. (Text figure 1.) Many galls were noted which appeared 

 to be enlarged nodes. The completed galls were for the most part 

 subglobular in shape and about four to six millimeters in diam- 

 eter, while the younger ones were broadly fusiform as a rule. In a 

 few cases the galls were quite irregular due to having been pressed 

 out of shape by contact with the host of the dodder or to 

 having been constricted by the dodder itself. The galls are light 

 yellow to orange in color, a few being somewhat greenish. 



Larva. Length about 2.25 mm. Form subcylindrical, slightly 

 curved, tapering slightly at both ends; sparsely hairy, hairs short; color 

 light yellow, head light brown. Head small, subcircular, slightly 

 depressed; collum absent; epicranial halves separated dorsally by a 

 very faint median suture; front triangular; gula indistinct, membran- 

 ous; ventral mouth parts fleshy; clypeus and labrum distinct, former 

 transverse; antennae minute almost obsolete; ocelli absent. Mandibles 

 of biting type, broad across base, bifid at tip with a comparatively 

 minute tooth below the two terminal ones. Maxilla fused with labium 

 to near apex; lacinia simple, fringed with chitinous hairs on inner sur- 

 face; galea absent; maxillary palpi two-jointed, labium fleshy with 



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