near the tips of twigs. Larvae bore into the twigs at the bases of the needles and kill 
the portion beyond the entrance hole (533). Heavily infested trees turn brown in the 
fall and most of the infested twigs break off during the winter. The hymenopterous 
parasite, Platygaster pini Fouts, is reported to have exerted a high degree of control 
of an outbreak in Missouri during the late thirties. 
Contarinia negundifolia Felt, the boxelder gall midge, produces fleshy galls on 
the leaves of boxelder. It has been recorded from Virginia, the Lake States, and the 
Prairie Provinces of Canada (/326). Other fairly commen species of Contarinia 
include: C. virginianiae (Felt), the chokecherry midge, which feeds on the fruit of 
common chokecherry, causing it to become swollen and deformed; C. ce- 
rasiserotinae (Osten Sacken), which produces bright-red or yellow irregular bud or 
terminal galls on black cherry; C. canadensis Felt, which produces galls on the 
leaves of ash; C. catalpae (Comstock), whose larvae feed on the young leaves and 
seed pods of catalpa; and C. verrucicola Osten Sacken, the linden wart gall, which 
produces wartlike galls on the leaves of basswood. 
Asphonaylia ilicicola Foote larvae feed in the berries of American holly, and the 
infested berries remain green all winter. It has been recorded from New Jersey, 
Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia (569). The related species, A. azaleae Felt, 
produces the so-called pinkster bud gall on rhododendron. 
Thecodiplosis piniresinosae Kearby, the red pine needle midge, has been 
recorded causing the formation of gall-like structures in the bases of needle fascicles 
of red pine in Wisconsin (657). Damaged needles turn brown in the fall and drop 
during the winter. The laterals and terminals of heavily infested trees may be killed. 
Heavy infestations appear to be confined to slow-growing trees. 
Cecidomyia resinicola (Osten Sacken), the gouty pitch midge, causes swellings 
and malformations on the twigs of Virginia and pitch pines in eastern North 
America. It has a broad host range among hard pines and is widely distributed. 
Dead needles, dead or dying twigs, and distorted, twisted terminals are evidence of 
its attack (355). The generally gregarious larvae of C. resinicola (fig. 211) are 
found in small patches of fluid resin exuding from wounds caused by their feeding. 
C. piniinopis Osten Sacken is another widespread resin midge with many host 
species among the hard pines (460). Usually an individual larva occupies a drop of 
pitch at the base of a needle fascicle. When full grown the larva moves away from 
this site and spins a white cocoon in which it pupates. There may be several 
generations annually. C. poculum Osten Sacken produces clusters of pale or red 
saucerlike galls that are attached by slender stalks to the undersurfaces of oak 
leaves. C. pellex Osten Sacken produces reddish-brown bullet galls on ash. C. 
ocellaris Osten Sacken, the ocellate gall midge, causes the yellow galls margined 
with red that are often seen on the upper surface of red maple leaves. 
Macrodiplosis foliora Russell & Hooker produces marginal fold galls on the 
leaves of black, red, and pin oaks. 
Sequoiomyia cupressi (Schweinitz) feeds in the seeds and causes a leaf gall on 
baldcypress. Taxodiomyia cupressiananassa (Osten Sacken) also causes leaf galls 
on baldcypress. 
Apagodiplosis papyriferae Gagné larvae feed in the buds of paper birch in the 
Lake States, causing the formation of galls (fig. 212). The galls surround the basal 
portions or all of one or two leaf petioles and either a bud or a part of the stem near 
the bases of the petioles (/329). Damaged leaves fall prematurely and buds and 
branches are killed. Trees from 0.7 to 10 m tall are attacked. The younger ones are 
often badly deformed. 
443 
