g6 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Rhabdophaga salicis Schrk. 



European willow gall midge 



1803 Schrank, F. v. P. Fauna Boica III, 69, 2310 (Tipula) 



1902 Felt, E. P. Inj. & Other Ins. N. Y. 17th Rep't p. 741-44 



1906 Ins. Affect. Pk. & Wdld. Trees, N. Y. State Mus. Mem. 



8, 1 .-299-302 



I90 6 Ins. Affect. Pk. & Wdld. Trees, N. Y. State Mus. Mem. 



8, 2:620 



1908 N. Y. State Mus. Bui. 124, p. 353 



This European gall midge has evidently become well established 

 in this country. It was first brought to our attention in 1898 by 

 the reception of some European willow twigs kindly sent by Mr 

 H. C. Peck of Rochester. The insects were reared therefrom, but 

 the species was not determined beyond question till living material 

 was submitted, in 1902, to Prof. J. J. Kiefer, the recognized 

 European authority upon this group. This midge was doubtless 

 introduced with imported nursery stock. Some infested willows 

 were probably used around bundles of imported trees. The flies 

 escaping therefrom made their way to willows growing in the 

 vicinity of the packing grounds. This species attracted notice in 

 the vicinity of Rochester because of the irregular, usually fusiform 

 enlargements on young willow canes. These abnormal growths 

 made the willows brittle and consequently unfitted them for binding 

 bundles of nursery stock, for which they are extensively employed 

 by many nurserymen. This species may eventually prove a serious 

 pest to growers of willows for basket purposes. 



Life history. Adults were reared from infested galls from May 

 22d onward. Other specimens, received directly from the field 

 June 3d, were disclosing flies, showing that in nature the adults 

 issue at this time. The pupae, like those of many Itonididae, 

 wriggle partly out of the gall before disclosing the adult, and so 

 many may emerge from one that it presents a somewhat peculiar 

 appearance after the flies have escaped on account of the numerous 

 white projecting pupal cases. 



The reddish, oval eggs were deposited by captive flies on the 

 leaves in irregular clusters or groups of three to six or more. The 

 duration of the egg stage and of the larval existence was not de- 

 termined. It seems very probable that there is but one generation 

 annually. 



