Celticecis oviformis (Patton)

Cecidomyiaceltis oviformis
Cecidomyia oviformis

Hosts: Celtis laevigata, occidentalis

Gall.--Usually along twig, occasionally on petiole or major veins of upper side of leaf, most often in groups; evenly spherical beyond obtuse, often weakly lobed base, with short apical nipple; green, turning brown, uniformly short-fuzzy but hairs not obscuring matte surface; 5–6 mm long, 4–5 wide; connection to host a prominent, circular, flat, persistent brown callus nearly 1/2 as wide as gall base; when on leaf apparent on opposite side of leaf as a thickening of vein; wall of uniform thickness throughout, larval chamber spherical, of same shape as gall.

Biological notes.--Galls of this species have a similar shape to those of C. connata when those of the latter are not found in aggregate, but galls of C. oviformis are covered with fine pubescence and are uniformly thin-walled, unlike galls of C. connata that are hairless and have thick walls of irregular diameter. Galls of C. oviformis develop and dehisce early in the season, possibly why it was not collected more often. In mid-April when galls were first noticed in Alexandria, Louisiana, they already contained second instars. After mid-May galls of this species still found attached to the host were parasitized.

Distr.--This species is widespread in the U.S. and found on both northern hackberry and sugarberry.

FL, IL, KS, LA, MD, MO, OH, WV, 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/34/mode/1up