Caryomyia turbanella Gagne, new species

Hosts: Carya tomentosa, ovata, pallida, glabra, texana

Gall (Figs. 132-133): Rare but widely distributed, on Eucarya hickories; on veins of upper leaf surface; length 4.0-5.0 mm, spheroidal, abruptly narrowed to conical apex; tan to purple, base with long, sparse, white hairs not obscuring surface, apical cone all or partly covered with small bumps and mostly hairless; base with circular, shallow, central excavation, leaf not exfoliate surrounding connection; larval chamber near base of gall, depressed-ovoid, lined with yellowish membrane, contrasting with brown to purple, large-celled, spongy, viscous tissue surrounding larval chamber that shrivels with maturity; a bundle of longitudinal fibers present between larval chamber and gall apex. The gall of this species is one of only two Caryomyia galls found exclusively on the upper leaf surface. It is distinctive for its hairy spheroidal base and bumpy conical apex.

Affinities. — See under C. persicoides. [C persicoides: Galls somewhat resemble those of the C. sanguinolenta species group because of their extensive soft tissue and the presence of a pellicle lining the larval chamber. A large difference between their galls is that only the top section of C. persicoides and C. turbanella galls breaks off over the winter as a unit, while all the soft tissue on the top and sides of the galls of the C. sanguinolenta group eventually separates from the brittle pellicle. Also, pupae of C. persicoides and C. turbanella break out of the side of the gall, while those of the C. sanguinolenta group break out of the bottom of the larval chamber. In addition to these differences, adults of the two groups are different enough that it appears soft-tissued galls evolved at least twice in Caryomyia.]

Range: AL, AR, CT, FL, GA, MD, DC

- Raymond J. Gagne: (2008) The Gall Midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) of Hickories (Juglandaceae: Carya)^©

Reference: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/38636615#page/89/mode/1up