Cynips (bella) aspera, new species
agamic form

GALL.-Similar to all galls of the C. bella and C. dugèsi complexes. Mature galls rosy or (more often) light yellowish tan, always conspicuously mottled with purplish brown; sometimes large, up to 17. mm., but averaging much smaller, nearer 13. mm. in diameter. Figure 93.

HOSTS.—Quercus undata, Q. chihuahuensis, Q. sacame [arizonica]. Probably on all of the white oaks of the area.

RANGE.-Chihuahua: Parral, 12 W, 6800" (galls, Q. undata, Q. sacame). Parral, 20 S (Q. undata; types). Durango: Villa Campos, 21 S, 6700' (Q. undata). Indé, 20 E, 6300' (Q. chihuahuensis). Canatlán, 7 N, 7400' (Q. undata; one female only). Apparently confined to a portion of the Western Sierra of Mexico in southernmost Chihuahua and Northern Durango. Figure 96

LIFE HISTORY.—Adults: November 8. January 29, 30. February 9, 10, 22. Most of the emergence early in February.

This is the southernmost species of the bella complex. The northern limit of the range of aspera (Parral in southernmost Chihuahua) coincides with the northern limit of the range of C. (dugèsi) deceptrix, but deceptrix extends for 175 miles south of the southernmost point (east of Indé) from which we have aspera. Aspera is distinguished from the related pomifera to the north by having bright or rich rufous on the head, thorax, antennae, and legs, and an areolet of smaller size. These characters are, however, highly variable, and since the galls of aspera and pomifera agree in being light tan with a conspicuous purplish brown mottling, there is some reason for considering these two as one species.

The mottled galls of aspera are almost always readily distin guishable from the uniformly tan, dull-surfaced galls of C. (du gèsi) deceptria. They differ in no respect from the mottled galls of C. (bulboides) aequalis (q.v.) which is known from several localities in Northern Chihuahua.

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