{October 1883. BULLETIN BROOKLYN ENTOM. SOC. VOL. VI. 61 
Ona gall-making genus of Apioninae. 
By Prof. C. V. Riley, 
Gall-making Coleoptera are not common and in this country but 
three are so far recorded, viz. Ampeloglypter sesostris Lec. and A. ater 
Lec., causing sweilings of the stems of Vitis and Ampelopsis respectively, 
and Agrilus ruficollis, causing swellings of the canes of rubus. In Europe 
several Apioninz are known either to form galls on twigs or nodosities 
on the roots of plants, and I now wish to record a gall—-making species 
of this subfamily in this country. 
A gall-like swelling of the two year old twigs of Pzmus mops is not . 
uncommon in the vicinity of Washington, and for some time I have been 
interested in ascertaining the real author, but only succeeded in doing so 
the present year. As the insect proves to be an undescribed Apionid and 
Mr. J. B. Smith is at work on the family, I send these notes for publica- 
tion at his request, and describe the species as Podapion gallicola. 
The gall is either spherical or ovoid, rarely elongate, and varies 
from 14 to 34 inch in length, It is usually single but exceptionally there 
will be two and even three on the same twig and sometimes they coa- 
lesce. The surface is somewhat smoother than the unaffected parts of 
the twig but concolorous ; the interior is hard, woody, usually with an 
abundance of liquid resin. ‘The larva or pupa of the Podapion may be 
found in the month of May in the center of the gall, completely sur— 
rounded with the resin, and in an irregular cavity which on one side 
"extends to near the outer surface, probably to facilitate the exit of the 
imago which takes place late in May and early in June. Those so far 
reared in captivity have proved to be remarkably short-lived for a Cur- 
culionid, dying in halfa day. But one develops in each gall. 
It has been somewhat difficult to discover the real author of the 
gall, because of the prevalence of another curculionid larva which inha- 
bits all parts thereof, but especially the outer portion, as many as 15 hav- 
ing been found in a single gall. It produces a Copturus which seems to 
be C. dongulus, and is evidently inquilinous. It is not infrequently 
found in the twig immediately above or below the gall. The beetles 
continue to issue throughout the summer. 
The larva of a Szgal/phus (Braconidz) is also quite common, and is 
doubtless parasitic on both the Rynchophora. 
As the fresh galls are found only in spring and as the beetle would 
seem to be short lived, the probabilities are that the egg is !aid in the 
one-year old wood in June, and that either the egg or the larva remains 
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