ART. 28 CHALCID FLIES NORTH OF MEXICO BALDUF 77 



Remarks. — Keclescribed from the type and a good series of reared 

 specimens from various localities in the eastern half of the United 

 States and Texas, 



D. querci-lanae var. dorsalis (Fitch) represents a unique color 

 phenomenon in the genus. Sufficient intergrading variations be- 

 tween the lighter male and variety dorsalis occur to show that they 

 are conspecific. The specimens that have the black of the vertex 

 and occiput interrupted, namely the lighter form, are not more nu- 

 merous than variety dorsalis^ and among the latter the majority ap- 

 proach the extreme black state rather than the lighter male form. 

 Fitch (loc. cit.) states: "Specimens frequently occur, so very differ- 

 ent in their colors that they might almost be deemed a distinct 

 species." The sex of his specimens thus described is not given, but 

 his decision to regard dorsalis as a variety proved sound in view of 

 subsequent rearings. First, no mostly black females have been taken 

 to date that can be placed in variety dorsalis; and second, I find 

 several instances in which only the dorsalis variety of males and the 

 typical light-colored females were reared from the same lot of galls. 



A further point of interest is the occurrence of similar mostly 

 black males in foliatae Ashmead, foliatae arizonica^ new variety, and 

 quinqueseptae, new species, in addition to a lighter-colored form, as 

 in querci-lanae (Fitch). On the other hand, D. wiltzae, new species, 

 is mostly black in both sexes, and its male has the colors and pattern 

 of variety dorsalis (Fitch). So similar are the males of these spe- 

 cies that to date no means of distinguishing them has been discov- 

 ered. This similarity extends also to size, dimensions, sculpture, and 

 vestiture, but the differences between the females, supplemented by 

 some distinctions in host relations, constitute good reasons for regard- 

 ing these species as distinct. The only present hope of determining 

 the black males of these several species is to rear them with the 

 females from known oak and cynipid hosts. 



Variety dorsalis has been obtained from most of the sources named 

 under the typical querci-lanae. Only the localities need to be named 

 here, the dates, oaks, and cynipids being as al'ready detailed : Winona 

 Lake, Ind., Urbana and Catlin, 111., Jacksonville and Yoakum, Tex., 

 Michigan Agricultural College, Texas (Belfrage), and Jacksonville, 

 Fla. \N. majalis (Bassett)]. Additional records are: One from 

 " oak wool gall," And7^icus flocci (Walsh), labeled " Illinois," emerged 

 November 16, 1908; one (158^°') was collected by Mr. Koebele, Feb- 

 ruary 1, 1883, on Q. macrocarpa., Washington, D. C. ; one taken in 

 April, Riley County, Kans., by Doctor Marlatt; one from gall of 

 Callirhytis tumifica (Osten Sacken), at Braintree (near Boston, 

 Mass., July 6, 1918, determined by Doctor Kinsey; one (Quaintance 

 No. 24477) collected by H. K. Plank, November 17, 1924, Wagners 

 Ferry, La.; two from J. G. Barlow, Cadet, Mo., collected May 3, 



