Celticecis cupiformis Gagne, new species

Hosts: Celtis laevigata, reticulata

Gall.--On leaf lamina, usually on underside of leaf; short-cylindrical, basal margins abruptly rounded, apex broadly rounded and ending in short, central umbo; glabrous, hairless or sparsely hairy, the hairs not obscuring surface; green, turning mostly brown, the apex yellow; ca. 1.5 mm high and 1.0 mm wide; connection to leaf circular, flat, ca. 1/3 width of gall base and barely apparent from opposite side of leaf; gall in cross section uniformly thin, brittle, the larval chamber of same shape as gall.

Affinities.--See under C spiniformis [C spiniformis entry: Affinities. — Nine species of Celticecis appear to form a natural group: C. spiniformis, C. aciculata, C. acuminata, C. capsularis, C. conica, C. cupiformis, C. pilosa, C. subulata, and C. supina. All form galls on the leaf lamina except for C. supina whose galls are attached to veins, usually minor ones.]

Biological note.--The gall of this rare species is very tiny, which may explain why it was not collected more often. Full-grown larvae are pink, red, or orange, and completely fill the larval cavity of the gall.

Distr.-- This species is known only from southcentral U.S., on sugarberry with the exception of the Belton, Texas collection that was found on both sugarberry and netleaf hackberry growing side by side.

LA, TX

- Raymond J. Gagne, John C. Moser: (2013) The North American Gall Midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) of Hackberries (Cannabaceae: Celtis spp.)^©

Reference: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51467028#page/29/mode/1up