Report of the State Entomologist. 183 



suitable place for change among the thick bedding of leaves beneath 

 the trees. Here they would hibernate, perhaps as larvae, to pupate in 

 the early spring, and disclose the perfect insect at about the time 

 when the new leaves are developing. 



The Galls Occasion Partial Defoliation. 

 It will be of interest to learn to what extent the occurrence of this 

 gall tends to the defoliation and consequent injury of the trees which 

 it infests. From the examples of the foliage received by me, it is seen 

 that leaves bearing the galls were still attached to the tree at the 

 close of the year, but were so loosely attached that a slight pressure 

 removed them. Many had broken off in transit, and were loose in the 

 package when received. The twigs showed the scars of detached 

 leaves to at least double the number of the galls inclosed, indicating 

 a considerable fall of the infested leaves, under natural conditions, 

 during the month of December. Later, all the galls fall from the tree. 



The Insect not Known in Europe. 

 The insect appears to be a native species. Baron Osten Sacken, 

 who has seen the gall, after searching the European literature of the 

 Cecidomyidce states that there is nothing analogous to it in Europe. 

 Dr. F. Loevf, of Vienna, concurs in the above, and remarks incident- 

 ally that the gall belongs to a group which have their habitat in the 

 parenchyma of the leaf (Blatt parenchymgallen), occurring on Quercus, 

 Ulmus, Tilia, Gentaurea, Hieracium, etc. 



Lasiopter'a vitis O. S. 



(Ord. DiPTERA : Fam. Cecidomyid^.) 



Osten Sacken: Monog. Dipt. N. A., Pt. 1, 1862, p. 201-2; Oat. Dipt. N. A., 



1878, p. 6. 

 Walsh-Eiley : in Amer. Entomol., i, 1869, p. 247, fig. 183. 

 Eiley: 5th Eept. Ins. Mo., 1873, p. 117-8, fig. 45. 

 Eeed : in 13th Eept. Ent. Soc. Ont., for 1883, p. 49, fig. 33. 

 Saundees: Ins. Inj. Fruits, 1883, p. 295, fig, 306. 

 LiNTNEE,: in Oount. Gent., xliv, 1879, p. 407; id., liii, 1888, p. 511. 



Lasioptera vitis — a minute dipterous insect, belongs to the group of 

 gall-making Cecidoviyidce. The genus Lasioptera is readily dis- 

 tinguished from Cecidomyia, to which it is quite near, by its nervula- 

 tion, for while the latter, with few exceptions, has four longitudinal 

 veins, this has but three, and of these the first and second run so close 

 to the costal margin as to be almost undistinguishable. Its third 

 vein, the only conspicuous one in the wing, is forked much as in 

 Cecidomyia and Diplosis. 



