OF EPPING FOREST. I47 



the largest of the group, is soft and spongey, and dries up with 

 age when the surface becomes wrinkled and irregular. 



Imago. 



Colour : Black. Antennae : Brownish black, fuinlshed with long hairs ; 

 thirteen jointed, twelfth joint as long as broad. Thorax : Scutellum, mesonotura 

 and part of the pleurae may be reddish brown. Abdomen : Black and shining. 

 Legs: Black. Femora and upper parts of tibiae, reddish brown. Wings; 

 Hyaline, long ; cubitus, and radial cellule at base, dark. 



(7). Sexual Generation. Ia. Dryophanta taschenbergi 



(Schltdl). 



Gall. 



Length 2-3 mm. Appears usually from the adventitious 

 buds on the trunk of the tree or from buds on young shoots 

 which have grown from these adventitious buds. Shape : Oval, 

 apex rounded. Purple in colour and velvety in appearance; 

 there is an inner gall which is soft and starchy. 

 Imago. 

 Colour : Black, shining. Antennae : Black. Thorax : Black, smooth and 

 shining; scutellum dull. Abdomen: Black. Legs: Yellowish, trochanters 

 black, femora infuscated. Wings ; Hyaline, long and smoky. 



Account of Generation Cycle. 



Although the perfect insect begins to gnaw its Avay out of the 

 Dryophanta join gall in November, it does not usually emerge 

 until the following March, the exact time of its appearance 

 varying according to the temperature. 



The eggs are then laid in the adventitious buds on the trunk 

 of the oak tree, one egg in each bud at the base of the bud axis 

 (sometimes also in the buds of twigs). The resulting gall 

 D. taschenbergi, appears at the end of April and during May, 

 maturing at the end of the latter month. The flies emerge from 

 these galls at about the beginning of June, the females ovipositing 

 in the veins of the softer leaves always at the back of the leaf. 



Dryophanta folii galls appear early in July and mature in 

 October, usually falling to the ground when this stage is reached. 



OCCURRENCE IN EPPING FOREST. 

 Dnjophanta folii. Very abundant. When young the gall is 

 covered with minute nodules lighter in colour than the rest of 

 the galJ, which subsequently disappear when the gall reaches 

 maturity. In some instances I have found as many as five of 

 these galls on one leaf, completely weighing it down. First 

 appearance noted, July 19th. 



