Cynips (dugèsi) spiculi, new species
agamic form

Diplolepis n. sp. Trotter, 1910, Boll. Lab. Zoël. Portici 5:129 [syn. based on Trotter material in Kinsey collection].

GALL.-Similar to all galls of the C. bella and C. dugèsi complexes. Mature galls peculiarly rosy brown or darker, prominently bluish with a puberulence, sometimes faintly, less often conspicuously spotted, mottled, or irregularly striped with purplish marks; smooth, shining; large galls, up to 25. mm., averaging near 20. mm. in diameter. Figure 69.

HOSTS.—Quercus texcocana [deserticola], Q. conglomerata [rugosa], Q. decipiens [rugosa]. Probably on all of the white oaks of the area except the alpine dwarf, Q. repanda.

RANGE.-Mexico: Mexico City, 25 E, 7000' (Q. texcocama; types). Mexico City, 17 S, 8200' (Q. texcocana, Q. conglomerata). Mexico City, 12 W, 8500' (Q. texcocana, Q. conglomerata). Puebla: El Seco, 5 SW, 8000' (Q. texcocana). Tehuacán, 17 NE, 7900' (Q. decipiens). Probably ranging from the Valley of Mexico, through the mountains to the southeast, to the borders of the state of Vera Cruz. Replaced at the northern end of the Valley (near Pachuca) by C. longa. Figure 18.

LIFE HISTORY.—Adults: December 8, 16, 23. January 2, 25. Feb ruary 1, 25. March 10, 30. Some pupae alive April 13. The bulk of the emergence early in March.

This is the dugèsi representative on all of the white oaks except the alpine dwarf, Q. repanda, in the mountains rimming the Valley of Mexico. The gall is larger than those of most of the Southern Mexican species, and often obscurely spotted or striped with dull purple. On the dwarf oak, repanda, the short-winged C. pumilio is found in the same area. At the northern end of the Valley, near Pachuca, C. (dugèsi) longa is found on Q. rhodo phlebia. Along the Mexico City–Acapulco road across the Divide at the southwestern end of the Valley, C. (dugèsi) spinalis is found on the westerly facing slopes of the same mountain range. Spiculi, then, does not range west of the Valley of Mexico, but it extends southeast well toward the borders of the state of Vera Cruz.

- Alfred Kinsey: (1936) Origin of higher categories in Cynips^©