CACTUS-FEEDING INSECTS AND MITES 123 



tomentosa infested with the midge larvae were located in the same 

 neighborhood; one segment when opened contained several hundred 

 larvae; from the other cladode adult midges emerged in May. 



Mayetiola KeiflFer, species C 



This third undescribed species is known from one record only. 

 Adults emerged in April 1928 from segments of Opuntia tomentosa 

 collected at Cuajimalpa near Mexico City. In addition, the infested 

 material produced adults of the chalcid Torymus bifasciipennis (Gahan) . 



NEOLASIOPTERA Felt, sp. 



This undescribed species was discovered attacking segments of Opuntia 

 streptacantha and a related prickly pear at Aguascalientes, Mexico, in 

 1927 and 1928. The bright-red larvae were in colonies of from 25 to 

 50 individuals, forming cells about one-half inch in diameter. As many 

 as 15 cells were present in one segment. The larvae spun light silken 

 cocoons side by side in clusters. At emergence, the pupae cut through 

 the cuticle and projected from the surface of the segment. Large larvae 

 and pupae occurred in early March. The first adult appeared on 

 March 17, and emergence continued into April. In confinement the 

 midges mated readily and attempted to oviposit in 0. lindheimeri. 



Diptera: Lonchaeidae 

 Two species of Lonchaeidae form cells in prickly pear segments. 



LONCHAEA Fallen 

 Lonchaea alexanderi Brethes 



This Argentine species appears to be widely distributed. It was de- 

 scribed from adults reared in April 1921 from larvae found during 

 the previous month infesting a segment of the low-growing broad- 

 jointed Opuntia sulphurea. Later it was located at various points in the 

 Provinces of Salta, Tucuman, and Santiago del Estero, at Concordia 

 in the Province of Entre Rios, and in the Botanical Gardens at Monte- 

 video in Uruguay. In August of 1932 and 1933 the insect was rather 

 common at localities in northern Tucuman; in August 1933 it was also 

 abundant at Giiemes and El Quebrachal, Province of Salta. The 

 favoured host plant seemed to be the tree pear 0. quimilo, but larvae 

 have been observed in 0. monacantha, 0. bonaerensis, 0. elata, O.ficuS' 

 indica, and 0. cordobensis, as well as in 0. sulphurea. 



