CHERMES OF MAINE CONIFERS. 297 



may prove to be the European mridis Ratz. as discussed by 

 Professor Cholodkovsky in Die Coniferen-Lduse, 1907. The 

 galls of mridis Figs. I and 8 in that publication very well picture 

 the galls of lariciatus and the host plants are identical. 



As the specific characters on which I have laid most stress, 

 antennae, wings and wax gland areas of the winged forms, are 

 not given in so much detail in European publications as the 

 structure of the apterous forms, the figures do not emphasize 

 the same points and the only basis for comparison would be 

 determined European material which may perhaps be possible 

 to secure. 



CHERMES CONSOLIDATES Patch. 



July 20, 1909, in the vicinity of Orono Mr. William Woods 

 collected from black spruce some pink and green galls resemb- 

 ling those figured by Professor Cholodkovsky in Die Coniferen- 

 Lduse Chermes 1907 for Chermes strobilobius Kalt. The flesh 

 of the gall on the surface is a delicate pink, the needles of the 

 gall, much stunted, are a delicate green. Some of the galls 

 collected on the same day were pale green instead of pink. 

 The galls (Fig. 145), are about one-half inch long or less and 

 are terminal. The cells of the galls contained dark red nymphs 

 which were flocculent rather than merely pulverulent, and the 

 cell walls were also covered with the flocculent secretion. 



Specimens began to emerge from these galls in the laboratory 

 July 30, and galls found out of doors on red spruce were open- 

 ing about the same time. 



Opening galls of this species were placed in a cage on twigs 

 of red spruce, black spruce, white spruce, Norway spruce, arbor 

 vitae, white pine, Scotch pine, hemlock, balsam fir and larch. 

 In a few days a count of ovipositing individuals was made and 

 it was found that they had laid eggs very sparingly on each 

 of the four spruces and balsam fir i to 5 specimens on each 

 plant. 9 to 12 eggs were deposited in a mass under the wings. 

 Most of the individuals died without ovipositing at all. This 

 test certainly gave no dependable data, nor did I chance upon 

 this species ovipositing out of doors. The galls in this vicinity 

 were not numerous and the species is very small. 



I have taken, however, on June 20, 1909, and about the same 

 time previous years small Chermes pupae developing at the 



