226 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 1 



A widely distributed form in the eastern states. Contarinia lirio- 

 dendri 0. S.. is responsible for a beautiful and characteristic blister 

 gall upon the leaves of tulip. Liriodendron. The gall is a nearly cir- 

 cular, somewhat convex blister mine about 5 mm. in diameter. The 

 dark brown center is surrounded by a light brown, irregular area 

 which is slightly darker on its upper margin, the coloration of both 

 surfaces being approximately the same. The partly developed gall 

 has a dark brown, slightly elevated, circular central portion sur- 

 rounded by pale green, which in turn is encircled by pale yellow, shad- 

 ing into pale green and that again into the color of the normal leaf 

 tissue. This species was first reared by Mr. J. G. Jack and brief de- 

 scriptions published of the gall, larva and adult in 1889. Mr. Jack's 

 observations show that in the vicinity of Boston there are three or 

 more generations annuall5^ the broods so overlapping that some larvae 

 may be found at almost any time. He states that the first eggs are 

 probably laid in the spring on the unfolding leaves, while the last 

 larvfe attain full growth about the end of September. The trans- 

 formations occur in the ground, the late appearing larvae probably re- 

 maining unchanged till spring. This gall insect is so abundant in 

 many places as to seriously affect the foliage of its food plant. 



Contarinia ananassi Riley, originally described as Cecidomyia cup- 

 ressi-ananassi , is another member of this genus, chiefly interesting 

 because of the characteristic gall it produces on cypress twigs, Tax- 

 odhim distichnm. This gall is a pale brown, sparsely pruinose, ovate 

 swelling on the twig some 1.25 em. long and bearing numerous trans- 

 verse, knife-edge-like elevations. This deformity is evidently an en- 

 largement of the growing stem, the transverse elevations correspond- 

 ing to the leaf scars. The normal fibers of the twig are easily detected 

 in the central portion of the gall, which later may contain from three 

 to eight larvae in a spongy, golden brown mass. Adults were bred in 

 May and there is probably but one generation annually. 



The European Contarinia rumicis Low. was bred last July from red- 

 dish or brown seeds of curled dock, Rumex crispus, taken at Newport, 

 N. Y. Professor Trail states, in the Scottish Naturalist, that this 

 species also occurs in the swollen buds of sheep-sorrel, Bumex acet- 

 osella. This weed is abundant in our section of the country and it 

 is somewhat surprising, if it has this habit in America, that we have 

 not taken this species at large in our extensive collecting during the 

 last two or three years. 



Contarinia gossypii Felt is a species which has recently been brought 

 to attention because of its injuring cotton in the British West Indies. 

 No information is at hand as to the precise character of the damage. 



