Asphondylia bacchariola

Neolasioptera baccharicola

Neolasioptera lathami

Asteromyia gutierreziae

Neolasioptera rostrata

Rhopalomyia californica

Rhopalomyia baccharis

Rhopalomyia sulcata

Asteromyia b-pteronioides-blister-gall-species-two

Asteromyia b-salicina-blister-gall-species-three

Asphondylia bacchariola Gagne, new species

Holotype.--Third instar, from apical leaf fascicle gall of Baccharis pteronioides. AZ

Gall (Fig. 1). — Each gall is made up of several leaves forming a conical, one-celled cylinder about 4 mm long and contains a single larva or pupa. Galls appear singly at the apices of branches, are green at first, but turn brown after the single larva in each gall changes to the pupal stage. The interior gall surface is covered with a white fungal mycelium while the larva is alive.

Additional galls from Baccharis bigelovii similar to those from B pteronioides but without gall midge specimens are tentatively referred to A bacchariola. AZ.

Distribution. — Arizona and western Texas.

Hosts. — Baccharis pteronioides and possibly B. bigelovii. The gall is similar on both plants but no gall midge specimens were found on the latter host to make a positive identification.

Neolasioptera baccharicola Gagne

This species forms a hard, woody gall at the base of the stem of B. halimifolia. It is known only from a series reared from galls taken at Virginia Beach, Virginia, V-1960, by F D. Bennett (Gagne 1971).

Neolasioptera lathami Gagne

Galls (Fig. 2) of this species can be found near the base of the plant as well as among apical branches of B. halimifolia, B. neglecta, B. salicina, and B. sarothroides. This species has two or more generations per year. It is known from New York south to Florida and west to Texas and Arizona (Gagne 1989). Palmer and Bennett (1988) recommended this species for introduction into Australia to control B. halimifolia, and Diatloff and Palmer (1987) reported on its biology and host specificity.

Gagne (1968) considered a larval specimen from Baccharis in Texas to be Asteromyia gutierreziae because it was similar to larvae of that species. Two other kinds of larvae based on differences in the spatulae (Figs. 14-16) have since been found. With- out pupae and adults, nothing more can be done to identify these. Because the spatulae are so different, the larvae are placed here as Asteromyia sp. 1, sp. 2, and sp. 3.

Asteromyia sp. 1, near gutiereziae Felt

This segregate is known from a single larva with a three toothed spatula (Fig. 14) similar to that found in A. gutierreziae. It was placed under A. gutierreziae in Gagne (1968). The specimen was taken from a blister leaf gall on Baccharis angustifolia (probably =salicina) collected in Kenedy Co., Texas, 20-XII-1940 by R. Runyon and found in the botanical collections of the USNM. 

Asteromyia sp. 2 

The larval spatula (Fig. 15) of this seg- regate has many fine serrations along the anterior edge. It is known from two speci- mens from Texas, each from a different spe- cies of Baccharis: B. pteronioides, Frijole Ranch, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Culberson Co., Texas, X- 16- 1990, P. E. Boldt; and B. higelovii. Point of Rocks, 12 mi. W Ft. Davis, Jeff Davis Co., Texas, VI- 12- 1990, P E. Boldt. 

Asteromyia sp. 3

The larval spatula of this segregate has a smooth anterior edge (Fig. 16). The single known larva was taken from a blister gall of B. salicina, Greenbelt Reservoir, 4 mi. N Clarendon, Donley Co., Texas, X-5-1988, P E. Boldt and T O. Robbins.

Neolasioptera rostrata Gagne

This species forms galls in receptacles of both male and female flowers (Gagne and Boldt 1989). It is widespread in the United States, from Maryland, Florida, Texas, and New Mexico where it occurs on B. glomeruliflora, B. halimifolia, B. salicina, and B. neglecta. It also occurs in the Dominican Republic on B. myrsinities (Gagne and Boldt 1989), and R E. Boldt has found it also in Argentina on B. pingraea and B. spartioides (Gagne 1994). 

Rhopalomyia californica Felt

This species forms lobed, succulent, usually leafy bud galls (Fig. 3) on B. pilularis in California. It was imported into Australia as a potential biocontrol agent of B. halimifolia in 1969 and 1982. The gall midge took hold only after the 1982 introduction and since then has effectively established itself in Queensland and New South Wales (McFadyen 1985, Julien 1992, Palmer et al. 1993). It was also introduced into Texas in 1985 to control B. halimifolia and B. neglecta. Typical galls were observed on B. neglecta at Belton, Texas in 1986, but none was subsequently found (Boldt, unpub. data). The ecology of this species and its parasites has been investigated by Ehler (1982, 1987, 1992) and Ehler and Kinsey (1990, 1991, 1993). This species is very similar to Rhopalomyia sulcata Gagne. Differentiation between the two species is made under R. sulcata.

[Gagne here considers [Rhopalomyia baccharis](https://www.gallformers.org/gall/2705) a junior synonym of R californica but this synonymy was later reversed]

Rhopalomyia baccharis (Felt 1908) is here considered a junior synonym of californica. Rhopalomyia baccharis was reportedly reared from unspecified stem galls collected in December, 1885 on B. pilularis, presumably in California but unstated (Felt 1908, 1915). The two syntypes, one of each sex, that Felt studied are labelled "#3849, Dec. 19, 85" and "Type No. 29333 U.S.N.M." They differ from most specimens of R. californica in having two in- stead of one segmented palpi. The gonostylus of the male syntype of R. baccharis appears more bulbous than in R. californica because it is laterally compressed on the slide mount. In the USNM collection are pinned specimens with the same first label as the types and an additional one that reads, "C.V. Riley Collection." Four males were slide-mounted to compare them properly with the syntype. Their gonostyli do not appear bulbous as in the syntype but are similar to that shown for R. californica (Fig. 20). In addition, two of the specimens have two-segmented palpi like the syntypes, but two have one-segmented palpi. 

Specimens reared from R. californica galls usually have one-segmented palpi, but occasional specimens are found with two-segmented palpi. L. E. Ehler (in litt.) writes that in outbreak conditions, galls commonly occur all along the shoots, especially when the terminals of the shoots are already galled. The unspecified "stem gall" made by this R. baccharis could have come from such a gall. It appears, then, that there is no reason to maintain R. baccharis as a distinct species. 

Rhopalomyia sulcata Gagne New Species

Holotype. — From columnar gall on B. salicina, Pecos R., Loving, Eddy Co., New Mexico

Distribution. — United States: Arizona, New Mexico, western and southern Texas; Mexico: Durango, Nuevo Leon. 

Hosts: This species is reported from B. halimifolia, B. heterophylla, B. neglecta, B. pteronioides, B. salicina, and B. sarothroides. The record on B. heterophylla is based only on similarity of the galls, but the other host records are based on adults and/or pupae. A generation of R. sulcata was reared from B. halimifolia and B. sarothroides in a greenhouse from a generation that came from field-collected galls on B. salicina.

*Asteromyia* sp. 2

The larval spatula of this segregate [of *A. gutierreziae*] has many fine serrations along the anterior edge. It is known from two specimens from Texas, each from a different species of *Baccharis*: *B. pteronioides*, Frijole Ranch, Guadelupe Mountains National Park...and *B. bigelovii*, Point of Rocks, 12 mi. W Ft. Davis, Jeff Davis Co....

Larvae of *Asteromyia* spp. are found in blister galls of leaves or green stems of various Asteraceae...

Gagné (1968) considered a larval specimen from *Baccharis* in Texas to be *Asteromyia gutierreziae* because it was similar to larvae of that species. Two other kinds of larvae based on differences in the spatulae have since been found....Because the spatulae are so different, the larvae are placed here as *Asteromyia* sp. 1, sp. 2, and sp. 3.

...

*Asteromyia* sp. 2

The larval spatula of this segregate [of *A. gutierreziae*] has many fine serrations along the anterior edge. It is known from two specimens from Texas, each from a different species of *Baccharis*: *B. pteronioides*, Frijole Ranch, Guadelupe Mountains National Park...and *B. bigelovii*, Point of Rocks, 12 mi. W Ft. Davis, Jeff Davis Co....

Larvae of *Asteromyia* spp. are found in blister galls of leaves or green stems of various Asteraceae...

Gagné (1968) considered a larval specimen from *Baccharis* in Texas to be *Asteromyia gutierreziae* because it was similar to larvae of that species. Two other kinds of larvae based on differences in the spatulae have since been found....Because the spatulae are so different, the larvae are placed here as *Asteromyia* sp. 1, sp. 2, and sp. 3.

...

*Asteromyia* sp. 3

The larval spatula of this segregate [of *A. gutierreziae*] has a smooth anterior edge. The single known larva was taken from a blister gall of *B. salicina*, Greenbelt Reservoir...Donley Co., Texas...

Larvae of *Asteromyia* spp. are found in blister galls of leaves or green stems of various Asteraceae...

Gagné (1968) considered a larval specimen from *Baccharis* in Texas to be *Asteromyia gutierreziae* because it was similar to larvae of that species. Two other kinds of larvae based on differences in the spatulae have since been found....Because the spatulae are so different, the larvae are placed here as *Asteromyia* sp. 1, sp. 2, and sp. 3.

...

*Asteromyia* sp. 3

The larval spatula of this segregate [of *A. gutierreziae*] has a smooth anterior edge. The single known larva was taken from a blister gall of *B. salicina*, Greenbelt Reservoir... Donley Co., Texas...

The Gall Midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) of Baccharis spp. (Asteraceae) in the United States