INSECTS AFFECTINC; PARK AND WOODLAND TREES 623 



s c 111 i n a t o r I larr. It. when fresh and growiiioj, consists of whitish 

 filamenls forniin;^- a whiti; rouiul body wiih Ix-autifvil pink spots. \\ ithin 

 there are a series of seedlike kernels containin^^ larvae. This gall occurs 

 on the young (lowering branches of oaks in June. 



Gouty oak gall 



Afidricus piinctahts Bass. 



Rough, hard, woody, gnarled scaly swellings on red oak limbs and twigs not over 1^4! 

 inches in diameter, occasionally occur in inunense numbers. 



Thts interesting gall insect is ordinarily rare in the vicinity of Albany, 

 if we may base an opinion on the absence of earlier records. The writer's 

 attention was called by Dr II. M. Pollock, in April 1902, to a red oak at 

 Loudenville near Alhan>-, wliicli was very badly infested with the galls of 

 this species. It will be seen by reference to plate 48, figure 4, that these 

 unnatural growths are irregular swellings along the smaller limbs, ranging 

 in diameter from less than )i to i)/. inches, depending on the size of the 

 twig. They are of variable length and freciuently several coalesce to form 

 an elongated mass of diseased tissue. The galls illiistraletl were inclosed 

 in a box and produced over 500 insects, some of which were guest Hies and 

 a .'■(■w were probably parasites. These galls were made the basis of an esti- 

 mate and it was calculated that the entire tree bore 20,000 and jjroduced 

 over 500,000 insects. The general character nf ilie infestation is well 

 shown on plate 47. 



This species was reared Ap. 11 l)y Mr Bassett, from a young, thrifty 

 red oak growing in the vicinity of Waterbury Ct. Its local habit is con- 

 firmed by his finding galls onl\- on the one tree. Professor Walsh also 

 described what is probably this same species, under the specific name of 

 p o d agr a e, and he likewise refers to its local habits. Both gentlemen, as 

 well as ourselves, reared large numbers of the insecCs without obtaining 

 males. The perfect insect has been described by Bassett as follows : 



Female. Head and thorax black, face pubescent, palpi light brown, 

 tips darker ; antennae reddish brown at the base, gradually deepening to a 

 dull dark brown, 14 jointed. Thorax finely and beautifully punctate; three 



