232 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



This species was noticed and described by Dr Fitch in his first report. 

 He states that the insect is of frequent occurrence in New York and our 

 observations accord with his. Dr F"itch described the excrescences on the 

 limbs at the time of nut-gathering, as blaclc, ragged, leathery, cup-shaped 

 and as having a marked resemblance to some species of fungi. 



Life history. Dr Fitch stated that this species probably winters in the 

 egg and that early in the season females station themselves either on the 

 midvein of one of the leaflets, on the leaf stalk or still further down on the 

 green succulent twigs and cause a profuse flow of sap. It is probable 

 that the insects so irritate adjacent tissue as to cause this abnormal growth 

 and as the gall increases in size, young are brought forth and they in turn 

 draw nourishment from its juicy walls. The galls are globular In shape 

 and range in size from that of a pea to an ounce ball. They are attached 

 to the side of the stem the whole length of their base and often cause a 

 bend or distortion, specially when two or three are contiguous and conflu- 

 ent. The walls of the galls are about '/lo inch thick with a fleshy te.xture, 

 white on the inside and green on the outside. The inside of the gall at 

 this time is literally covered with minute shiny lice of different ages and 

 sizes and as Dr Fitch aptly states, it resembles the geode of the mineral, 

 the surface of which is lined with a multitude of minute crystals whose 

 sparkling points are everywhere glistening in the light. The dusky cast 

 skins of the lice are also visible in the gall as well as numerous round black 

 grains and smaller globules of honeydew. The black grains are the excre- 

 ment of a larva, probably that of a weevil which lives w'ithin the galls. 

 One would think that insects within such a retreat would be free from insect 

 enemies, but Dr Fitch records meeting with four larvae, probably the young 

 of a Syrphus fly, in one of these galls. 



Bibliography 

 1856 Fitch, Asa. Ins. N. Y. ist Rep't, p. 155-59 



