Kinsey: Gall Wasp Genus Cynips 
251 
which, however, is the length of the wing of the Southwestern 
Cynips (Philoriix) plumb ea. 
All of the previously recognized members of this species 
have been short-winged agamic forms. Few groups have had 
more varied taxonomic treatment, due to the difficutly of in- 
terpreting the relations of such specialized insects, and to 
an unusual amount of individual variation in the species. The 
genus Philonix was originally established by Fitch for his 
species fulvicollis and nigricollis, and Ashmead later desig- 
nated fulvicollis as the type. Beutenmiiller (1909) and Dalla 
Torre and Kieffer (1910) revised the generic assignments of 
these insects, but differed radically in their interpretations — 
chiefly because they worked with little material and studied 
few types. They nevertheless agreed in keeping these forms 
in genera which included none but nearly wingless forms. 
Weld maintained this policy when he revised the genera 
Acraspis and Philonix in 1922, but rendered a service by 
pointing out the two distinct lines of relationships represented 
by these two names. Those who have followed my use of the 
categories of species and variety will readily appreciate that 
what have hitherto been considered species of Philonix should 
now be considered varieties of one species. 
Beutenmiiller introduced confusion into our understanding 
of this group by trying to interpret it from published descrip- 
tions without an examination of types. His later study of the 
types led to an unfortunate synonomy that was, nevertheless, 
uncritically accepted by several of us for a number of years. 
He considered his erinacei a synonym of fulvicollis. I agree 
with Weld that the two represent distinct genera or sub- 
genera. Beutenmiiller was correct in considering (1909) 
gillettei a synonym of niger, but incorrect (1918) in consider- 
ing this the same as lanaeglobuli. I believe that niger, gil- 
letti, and Fitch’s nigricollis are synonyms of fulvicollis. My 
reasons for these interpretations, which are in every case 
based upon my studies of the type material supplemented by 
series representing a wide range of localities, are detailed in 
the following pages. 
As I understand this species, we have the familiar story of 
the host or geographic isolation of each variety of the insect. 
The white oak inhabitants include variety canadensis which 
occurs chiefly in the sub-Canadian area of the northeastern 
