368 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 5 



ITONIDA INOPIS O. S. 



By E. P. Felt, Albany, N. Y. 



1862 Osten Sacken, C. R. Mon. Dipt. N. Amer. 1 : 196-97 (Cecidomyia). 

 1890 Packard, A. S. U. S. Entomol. Com. 5th Rep't., p. 800 (Diplosis). 



1910 Smith, J. B, Ins. N. J. List, p. 732 (Cecidomyia). 



1911 Felt, E. P. Econ. Ent. Journ. 4 : 465 (Cecidomyia). 



Numerous resinous cocoons of this interesting gall midge were found 

 on the needles of scrub pine, Pinus rigida at Karner, N. Y., May 22, 

 1912, adults soon commencing to issue therefrom and numerous para- 

 sites, Polygnotus diplosidis Ashm., being reared May 27 and 28. 

 An examination of shoots bearing infested needles showed distinct 

 swellings some 7 mm. long here and there, accompanied by more or 

 less exudation of pitch. Some of these were contiguous and produced 

 a nearly uniform enlargement extending for several inches on twigs 

 of last year's growth. A few larvae were found within the swellings 

 and numerous cocoons upon the needles, most of the midges liaviiig 

 emerged by the 27th. The habits as outlined above and the charac- 

 ters of the cocoon and larva to be given below, agree with those given 

 by Osten Sacken for a species observed on Pinus virginiana (P. inops) , 

 and as these two pines are closely allied there can be little doubt as 

 to the identity of the insect. The midges, issuing the latter part of 

 May or early in June, deposit their reddish orange eggs upon the needles 

 and developing young growth, probably mostly on the latter under 

 natural conditions. The maggots soon hatch and establish themselves 

 in the tissues while the latter are still tender*. 



It is very probable that part of Packard's account of Diplosis 

 pinirigidae^ refers to this species, since we have failed to find any such 

 resinous cocoons on needles of limbs bearing the characteristically 

 deformed leaf clusters associated with this species. The female des- 

 cribed in this account may be /. inopis, since the adult was reared from 

 a cocoon at the proper time. It would be very easy to overlook the 

 galls of P. inopis, especially if the infestation was sparse, and associate 

 the cocoon, as Packard apparently did, with the deformed needles. 



This species approaches the pitch midge, Itonida resinicola 0. S. 

 from which it is distinguished by its larger size, darker color and shorter 

 antennal stems in the male. It is somewhat smaller than the western 

 pitch midge, /. resinicoloides Wlms., a form easily recognized by struc- 

 tural characteristics. There is a difference in habit as well as color 

 in the European Itonida pini DeG. The species of Itonida infesting 



1 1890 U. S. Entomol. Com. 5th Rep't, p. 798-800. 



