28 



FOREST ENTOMOLOGY. 



-fj 



which it rests and raises itself, swaying about its body. He regarded 

 it as a species of Sar copies." a 



Here is an account of the first true conception of the family Eri- 

 ophyidae, and the species under consideration is in consequence a most 

 important one. 



Eriophyes macrochelus (Nal.) 



To all lovers of natural history, no walk is more charming than a 

 South Country lane, with its tall rough hedges and rich flora. The 

 hedges are generally well stocked with the field maple (Acer cam- 



pestre). The upper surface of the 

 leaves of the field maple are often 

 covered with small galls, and a 

 careful examination will show that 

 >.jfcj ^r there are two sorts, a larger and 



a smaller variety. The larger 

 which are, as a rule, rather 

 sparsely distributed on the leaves, 

 and generally on the midrib and 

 veins are the galls of E. macro- 

 chelus. These galls are very vari- 

 able in many ways, both as regards 

 colour and structure. They may 

 be solitary or gregarious, single or 

 coalesced, glabrous or pubescent, 

 and either on the veins or spread over the leaf. They appear 

 quite early in summer, but may be considered fully developed in 





Fig. 27. Galls on leaves of field maple 

 (Acer campestre) caused by Eriophyes 

 macrochelus. 



August. 



Eig. 



27. 



Eriophyes macrorhynchus (Nal.) 

 Phytoptus myriadeum (Murray). 



This is the other species of gall on the field maple, and may easily 

 be recognised from the former species by being smaller in size, and 

 much more crowded on the leaves. It is very abundant in southern 

 England, but not at all common in the north or in Scotland. Fig. 28. 



1 Economic Entomology Aptera : South Kensington Museum Science Hand- 

 books. 



