Cynips (plumbea) hirsuta, new species
agamic form
GALL.-Of moderate size, almost perfectly spherical; dull, slightly shriveling, with only a limited amount of scurf; denuded surface yellow to rosy tan (darker when weathered); up to 9.5 mm., averaging 7.0 mm. in diameter. Figure 117.
HOST.-Quercus repanda, a dwarf, alpine oak.
RANGE.-MichoacĂĄn: Morelia, 14 E, 7000'. Probably restricted to alpine dwarf oaks, probably not extending beyond the mountains of Morelia. Figure 120.
LIFE HISTORY.âAdults: February 25. March 2.
The galls of this insect were fairly common on the low, dwarf oak, a member of the Q. repanda complex, in the mountains east of Morelia. Since our material represents a single collection, it is uncertain how limited the range of the species may be; but the closely related dwarf oak in the mountains rimming the Val ley of Mexico is host to C. texcocana, another (although unrelated) member of the plumbea complex. In the same mountains east of Morelia, C. (plumbea) fuscipennis occurs on the scrub or tree oak, Q. conglomerata.
The gall of hirsuta is similar to that of texcocana, fuscipennis, and fucosa, but hirsuta galls are more strictly spherical and lighter rose tan in color.
â- Alfred Kinsey: (1936) Origin of higher categories in CynipsŠ