Vol. XXvii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 20I 



Gall Midges of Certain Chenopodiaceae (Dip.). 

 By E. P. Felt, Albany, New York. 



The discovery in 1913 of a species (Aplotiyx sarcobati Felt) 

 leferable to an European genus and at that time unknown out- 

 side of the Mediterranean region, was most interesting. The 

 rearing early this year of a closely allied genus, described be- 

 low, from greasewood, adds to the interest, and on investigat- 

 ing the distribution of these gall midges and their close allies, 

 it is noteworthy that none have been found outside of the 

 Mediterranean region and the arid plains of the West. The 

 conditions obtaining in the former section are suggestive in 

 that they may throw some light upon probable revelations fol- 

 lowing further exploration. In the Mediterranean region, spe- 

 cies of Aplonyx and Stefaniella have been reared from Atri- 

 plex, Dibaldratia and Stcfaniola from Salsola, Baldratia and 

 Baldraticlla from Salicornia, while in America Aplonyx has 

 been reared from Sarcobatus and Protaplonyx from grease- 

 wood, ( ?) Sarcobatus vermiculatus. 



All of these genera are closely related in that they present 

 the typical Lasioptera aspect. They may be distinguished by 

 the simple or feebly dentate claws and a distinct tendency to- 

 ward reduction in both the antennal and palpal segments, the 

 former ranging in number for the seven genera above named 

 from six to fourteen and being mostly twelve or thirteen, while 

 five of the genera have but one palpal segment, Stefaniella 

 two, and Protaplonyx four. There is also in this group of 

 genera a marked tendency toward an aciculate, chitinous ovi- 

 positor. 



The Chenopodiaceous flora of our great plains is at least 

 moderately abundant and it is reasonable to suppose that there 

 is a number of new species and possibly new genera in addi- 

 tion to the one described below, awaiting discovery. These 

 saline- or alkaline-loving plants present certain characters in 

 common and as in the case of Aster and Solidago, appear to 

 have a peculiar midge fauna. 



