122 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



It produces a green, fleshy stem gall very similar in general appear- 

 ance to that of Asphondylia globulus O. S. on Helian- 

 thus but smaller and usually cracked. 



Asphondylia betheli Ckll. 



1907 Cockerell, T. D. A. Can. Ent., 39:324 



1908 Felt, E. P. N. Y. State Mus. Bui. 124:376 



This species breeds in the swollen Opuntia fruit which collapses 

 after the exit of the flies. The gall was taken at Boulder, Col., 

 adults emerging in May 1907. The following description was drafted 

 from type specimens kindly donated for study by Professor Cockerell. 



Gall. Length 3 cm, diameter 1.3 cm, subcylindric, a variable 

 greenish and yellowish green. 



Exuviae. Length 6 mm, light bro^¥n, the anterior horns stout, 

 conical, the dorsum of the second or third abdominal segment with 

 a row of stout, evenly placed spines on the posterior third and on 

 the basal half two irregular rows of similar weaker spines with minor 

 ones on the anterior m.argin. Terminal segment with an irregular 

 row of 12 stout spines on the distal third, they being irregularly 

 arranged in submedian and sublateral groups of three, the basal 

 half thickly clothed with smaller, stout spines. 



Male. Length 3 to 3.5 mm. Antennae about as long as the body, 

 thickly fine-haired, dark brown; 14 segments, the third with a length 

 six times its diameter. Palpi; the first segment stout, with a length 

 three times its diameter, the second twice the length of the first, 

 broadly flattened, tapering to an acute apex. Mesonotum slaty 

 brown, the submedian lines sparsely haired. Scutellum dark brown, 

 postscutellum yellowish brown. Abdomen dark brown, sparsely 

 fine, whitish-haired, the venter dark brown, rather thickly clothed 

 with fine, whitish hairs; genitalia fuscous. Wings hyaline, costa 

 light brown; halteres yellowish basally, slightly fuscous apically. 

 Coxae and fem.ora basally fuscous yellowish, the distal portion of 

 femora and tibiae on the anterior legs a variable yellowish brown, 

 the tarsi dark brown, the posterior legs mostly a light yellowish 

 brown; claws rather short, stout, strongly curved, the pul villi as 

 long as the claws. Genitalia; dorsal plate long, broad, deeply and 

 triangularly emarginate, the lobes narrowly rounded. 



Female. Length 6 mm. Antennae presumably nearly as long 

 as the body, rather thickly fine-haired, dark brown; 14 segments, 

 the third with a length about six times its diameter. Palpi; the 

 first segment long, stout, with a length twice its diameter, the second 

 nearly twice the length of the first, dilated near the middle, tapering, 

 acute. Ovipositor one-half longer than the body. Otherwise nearly 

 as in the male. Type Cecid. ai776. 



