Feron atrimentum (sexgen)

Kokkocynips attractans (sexgen)

Feron gigas (sexgen)

Feron pattersonae (sexgen)

Callirhytis perdens (agamic)

Callirhytis perfoveata (sexgen)

Callirhytis serricornis (sexgen)

Protobalandricus spectabilis (agamic)

Bassettia ligni (agamic)

Neuroterus engelmanni (agamic)

Neuroterus varians (agamic)

Holocynips humicola (agamic)

Neuroterus saltatorius (sexgen)

Andricus atrimentus, new species

Galls (Pl. XXIV, Figs. 15, 16) - Small, inflated capsules in the leaf-blade. Monothalamous. Spherical, 3-5, mm. in diameter, about smooth, leaf-green when fresh, soon paling, finally drying yellow-brown. Walls thin, a thin-walled larval cell about 1.5 mm in diameter is connected with the outside by a tangle of dense, not not definitely branched fibers. In the leaf-tissue, projecting about equally on either side, usually near the edge of very young leaves of Quercus douglasii.

Range - California: Three Rivers, Redding.

These galls develop early on the unfolding leaves, looking like small air-bubbles blown in the tissue. The galls were always very new and fresh when gathered, but were also practically mature. The development of this generation of the species must be a matter of only a month or two; the other generation is unknown. The adults were maturing, had not emerged, but did emerge at some date later than the dates of collecting the galls: March 23 at Three Rivers, and April 2 at Redding. Of 23 adults, 13 were females. This species resembles Andricus palustris form palustris (Osten Sacken) of the black oaks of the eastern part of the United States, and it might prove desirable to consider the two as varieties of one species. Morphologically the two are very similar, even in many minute details of venation, thoracic sculpture, abdominal and antennal characters; in atrimentus the parapsides are more convergent at the scutellum, the scutellum is less elongate, less rugose, with the foveal groove smoother and less distinctly bifoveate than in palustris. In the male of atrimentus the abdomen is not as small as in palustris. Atrimentus occurs on a white oak in one distinct faunal area; palustris on black oaks in a very different faunal area. It is exceedingly significant that the galls of the two species show similarity of structure, for as has been repeatedly shown the gall is an expression of the physiological nature of the insect. Physiologically then the two species are related,just as they are morphologically, but physiologically they differ even more markedly than morphologically. For though the galls are similar hollow bladders in the leaf, the Pacific Coast species does not have the thick and succulent walls of palustris; while the attached larval cell of atrimentus is distinctly unlike the remarkable, loose cell of palustris.Both forms are bisexual generations, developing very quickly in early spring on the unfolding leaves. The other generation of palustris, namely Andricus palustris form compressus (Gillette), is a wingless, agamic species forming a small, hollow, egg-shaped, separable gall on theleaves in late summer, the gall dropping to the ground in autumn, the insect emerging very early in the spring. It is not unlikely that atrimentus has a similar history, but it will be important that some one determine exactly what differences exist in the life-histories of the two-insects.

Andricus attractans, new species

Galls (Pl. XXIV, Fig. 2). —Sticky cells protruding from buds. Each cell is monothalamous, about 2x3 mm., oval, but with rather flattened ends; only microscopically roughened, marbled red to dark green when fresh, drying brown; thin-walled, hollow. Under the bud scales, but often largely protruding; covered with a sticky secretion when fresh; often several in a bud; on Quercus wislizeni

Range: —California: Redding.

These galls are distinct in appearance from other Pacific Coast bud galls, but probably reach maturity in such a short time that they will need to be discovered at just the opportune season. The very sticky secretion on the surface proves attractive to ants, and likely attracts wasps and bees. I am surprised to find all of the thirteen adults bred are males, and am at a loss to explain the situation. The insect shows relations to some species of Neuroterus, but does not belong to the typical group of that genus.

Andricus gigas, new species

Galls (Pl. XXIV, Fig. 14). --Small, brown, egg-shaped cells scattered in the aments. Each cell monothalamous, naked, only microscopically granulate, well pointed at the apex, thin-walled and hollow. Apparently tremendous enlarged anthers, about 1 mm in diameter by 2 mm. long. Scatteringly in aments of Quercus douglasii.

RANGE.-California: Merced Falls.

The galls were just maturing on March 28. Because of the location and structure of the galls, this form of the insect must complete its history in a month or two; there is undoubtedly an alternate generation, probably agamic.

Andricus pedicellatus, new species

GALLS (P1. XXIV, Fig. 10).-Small, elongate capsules attached by a slender thread near the edge of the leaf. Monothalamous. The capsule is elongate, 5.-7.mm. long by 1.0-1.5 mm. wide; sharp-tipped but broadest near the tip, basally slender tapered, continuing into a slender, thread-like stem 5.-12. mm. long, evidently a continuation of a vein of the leaf. The capsules are thin-walled and entirely hollow. Attached either near the edge or farther from the edge to very young leaves of Quercus Douglasii.

RANGE.-California: Three Rivers, Oroville.

This species appears very early in the spring, as soon as small leaves come out of the opening buds. At Three Rivers the galls were just maturing. It is likely that this is the short-lived bisexual generation of a species having an agamic alternate generation which takes all but one or two months of the year to develop. The species is in many respects related to species like Neuroterus irregularis (Osten Sacken), N. majalis (Osten Sacken), and N. resiculus (Bassett), but those species do not represent typical Neuroterus Hartig.

Andricus perdens, new species

GALLS (P1. XXIV, FFigs. 5-7). Stem swellings, raggedly split open, containing flattened seed-like cells. The swellings are 6.-13. mm. indiameter by1.5-20. cm. long.Within are large cavities, 4 or 5 arranged more or less radially about the axis of the stem, and a great many in series along the stem, each cavity sector shape, extending to the bark, 10. mm. wide or less at the edge. Inserted on the wall of each cavity is a larval cell; each cell is monothalamous, flattened, a somewhat squared oval in outline,4. mm. high by 3. mm. wide, broadest at the top; concave at the base with a projecting tongue by means of which the cell is inserted in the twig; cells smooth, shining,buff-yellowish, finely streaked, more or less, with purplish brown. The cell walls are shell-like, moderately thick, entirely hollow within. At maturity the bark splits raggedly over each cavity, the larval cell drops to the ground, and the affected twigs die. On terminal twigs of Quercus Kelloggii.

RANGE.-Oregon: Ashland and Grants Pass. California: Gilroy (RedwoodSchool), Placerville and Ukiah.

This is a very common cynipid throughout the Pacific Coast region, its presence being made noticeable because the leading shoots and ultimately the whole tree may be killed. I have seen small stands of young black oaks, possibly fifteen years old, almost completely killed out in this way. It has, however, been difficult to obtain the wasp, apparently because the larval cells fall out of the twigs before maturity; possibly the insect completes development and emerges only after it has been on the ground for some time. From galls collected from January through April no adults were obtained, and only two individuals which had failed to quite complete development were cut out of the few larval cells remaining in the twigs. A very similar if not specifically identical gall is found on Quercus Wislizeni.

Andricus perfoveatus, new species

Galls (Pl. XXIV, Fig. 8). —Small, fleshy-walled capsules imbedded in the leaf-blade. Monothalamous. Spherical or more elongate, about 6. mm. in diameter (perhaps larger when fresh), leaf-green, drying brown, projecting about symmetrically from either surface of the leaf. The walls are thick, succulent, the cavity (in shriveled galls) about oval, 2. X 3. mm., with a distinct larval cell lining, but the cell inseparable (at least in the shriveled gall). On the very young leaves of Quercus kelloggii.

Range: —California: Santa Rosa and Redding.

At the time the galls were collected they were very fresh and succulent, on the very young, unfolding leaves of the black oaks, but inasmuch as adults emerged from some of these galls, in spite of their immediate shriveling on collecting, it would appear that the insects complete their development in a very short period in the early spring. Such species of cynipids are usually bisexual, so the male may yet be discovered for this species.

Andricus serricornis, new species

Galls (Pl. XXIV, Fig. 3). —Dense clusters of grain-like cells, yellow or yellow-brown. Bithalamous, though often several galls will fuse; the whole cluster rounded or elongate-oval, containing 20 to 40 or more cells. The cells are thin-walled, almost wholly hollow except for the partition separating the larval chambers. Apparently modified anthers of aborted, compacted aments, the clusters sessile on the young twigs of Quercus wislizeni and Q agrifolia.

Range: —California: Alpine, Three Rivers.

Galls collected February 24 at Alpine showed the adults to have emerged at an earlier date, but galls collected at Three Rivers on the following March 23 did not give adults until some (unrecorded) later date. It is likely that the emergence dates of spring galls for more northerly latitudes or higher elevations are regularly later. Although I do not have adults from the galls on Q. agrifolia the galls appear so identical as to make the identification at least specifically certain. I secured 99 females and 49 males, which is not the usual ratio for a bisexual form in this group of Cynipidae. Because of the early appearance of the gallon an evanescent part of the plant it is probable that this species has an alternate, agamic generation. The galls of this species resemble those of Neuroterus pallidus Bassett of the eastern United States, but in that species the clusters are borne at the ends of the aments instead of sessile on the young twig, distorting the whole ament.

Andricus spectabilis, new species

GALLS (P1. XXIV, Figs. 11, 12).-Elongate stem swellings. Polythalamous. Large, elongate, oval to spindle-shaped, averaging 2.5 cm. wide by 5.0 cm. long; large specimens of scarcely greater diameter will reach 11.0 cm. in length; covered with bark ofnatural color. Internally hard and woody, only the peripheral tissue being less com-pact than the normal stem wood; larval cells toward the center of the gall, oval, 3.by 5. mm., tissue almost not at all distinct from rest of wood; exit holes upon aging show a distinct, smoother area on the bark. On smaller stems of Quercus chrysolepis.

Range: —California: San Jacinto Mountains, San Bernadino, Upland, Pasadena, Placerville, Auburn.

The galls of this species have been mistaken for those of Andricus suttoni (Bassett) which occurs on Quercus agrifolia; and it is likely that all the records of suttoni occurring on Quercus chrysolepis apply actually to spectabilis. Though the galls of the two cynipids closely resemble each other, the insects are not similar, exhibiting what will be interpreted as generic differences when Andricus is subdivided. In several respects,such as the median depression of the scutellum, this species shows relations to Andricus pomiformis (Bassett). Adults emerged from galls at Placerville, California on March 30; but it is likely that there is an earlier emergence date for more southern material. The gall is prominent and very abundant wherever I have seen Quercus chrysolepis.

Bassetia ligni, new species

GALLS (P1. XXIV, Fig. 1).-Cells within the wood of small twigs, usually not distorting the stem, or producing hardly noticeable swellings. Each cell is elongate-oval, about 1.0 by 2.5 mm., with a shell-like lining, distinct from but hardly separable from the wood; the cells lie wholly within the wood, which is not particularly modified; often a hundred or more are closely crowded in dense clusters. Exit holes, cleanly circular, about 0.5 mm. in diameter, disclose the infestation. On twigs of Quercus Douglasii.

Range: —California: Galt.

This very distinct genus regularly produces galls of about this simple type, and search for exit holes in otherwise undeformed twigs will prob-ably produce, as I have already experienced, more species of the group. Species have been obtained heretofore only from Georgia, Florida, Missouri, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, but not from the Pacific Coast. Insects were still emerging at Galt on March 29, but apparently most of them had emerged previously. The galls were mostly in the two-year-old wood, only rarely in the wood of the previous summer; but whether it takes the species more than one year to develop I cannot say because it was not carefully determined at the time which galls were producing the emerging insects.

Neuroterus engelmanni, new species

Galls (Pl. XXIV, Fig. 4). —Pustulate swellings embedded in the leaf-tissue; monothalamous, but often several galls confluent; about circular, averaging 1.2 mm. in diameter. The surface of the leaf not modified, the undersurface somewhat distended, the upper surface less so but very evidently swollen; thin-walled, hollow. On leaves of Quercus engelmannii.

Range: —California: Alpine, Fallbrook.

The galls were very abundant on the few trees on which they were found. On February 24 and 26 they contained only larvae. Of the two or three thousand insects bred from one of the lots of galls, only eleven gall-makers were recovered, the other insects being parasites. The galls closely resemble Neuroterus niger Gillette which occurs on Quercus macrocarpe, N. perminimus Bassett on Q. alba, N. papillosus Beutenmuller on Q. bicolor, and several other species which I shall describe from other species of oaks. The insects of these species show evident relationships morphologically, and it is of considerable significance to find the galls (an expression of the physiology of the insect!) similarly related. These species are certainly distinct, but it may be desirable at some time to label them varieties. Such "host varieties" are biologically important because of the material they may offer for experimental work on the possible effect of environment (the host) on the insect.

Neuroterus varians, new species

Galls (Pl. XXIV, Figs. 17, 18). —Short, blunt, irregular stem swellings. Polythalamous. Distorted lateral stems, 5-12. mm in diameter, 6-35 mm. long, very rough, covered with bark of natural color; very irregular in shape; involving distorted buds, petioles or leaves. Internally the larval cells are closely compacted, located mostly at the periphery; cells oval, averaging 1.5 by 0.8 mm., but varying in size; cells with a distinct, shell-like lining which is not, however, separable. On Quercus lobata.

Range: —California: Byron.

This species shows a considerable variation in the size of the adults,the color of the legs, and the size of the areolet. All of the material, which gave almost eight hundred adults, was collected from a single tree; the smaller individuals appear structurally and almost entirely in regard to color indentical with the largest individuals, and what differences do exist show all the intermediate stages in still other individuals. So I have no doubt that these variations are all within a single species, but to avoid any chance of confusion I have sorted out a series of the largest individuals as paratypes.

Adults emerged March 21, a couple of days after collecting the galls.

Andricus humicola, new species

Gall (P1. XXIV, Fig. 13).-Large, irregular, tuber-like, woody swellings of the bark and new wood of roots. Agglomerate. The swellings are very irregular, smooth and rounded when fresh, roughening with age; the fresh bark covering is more reddish brown than on the normal roots; length up to 10.5 cm., the diameter 7.5 cm. on large galls. Affecting both wood and bark, including wood below the normal line of the bark; larval cells lying toward the bark, oval, 3.5 by 4.5 mm., with a thin, distinctive tissue lining the cells, but not separable from the wood. On the sides of large roots,well below the surface of the ground, on Quercus Kelloggii.

RANGE.-Oregon: Ashland.

A cave-in of a railroad embankment had exposed these galls. The single female was found running over the surface of the galls, and was identified as the producer of these by recovering an immature adult which had not emerged from the galls. Almost all of the insects had emerged, but at least one was still alive on April 6. Very likely the species is agamic, at least in this generation.

Neuroterus decipiens, new species

GALLS (P1. XXIV; Fig. 9).-Clusters of egg-like cells in the leaf-blade. Each cell monothalamous, oval, about 1.7 mm. long by 1.0 mm. wide, thin-walled, entirely hollow, equally protruding from either surface of the leaf; leaf-green, drying brownish yellow. In dense, compacted clusters containing many scores of cells; on young leaves of Quercus Douglasii.

RANGE.-California: Stanford University (I. C. McCracken, Coll.), Three Rivers, and Redding.

This species is very abundant early in the spring; the galls are very succulent and the insects mature quickly after the unfolding of the leaves. There must be, therefore, another generation in the year, probably agamic. Insects were emerging at Three Rivers on March 22, but some hundred miles farther north, at Redding, adults did not emerge until some time after collection of the galls on April.2. Of 93 adults of my collection, only 14 are males, not the usual ratio for bisexual generations of this genus. Material of this species is in several collections labelled Neuroterus pacificus Beutenmuller, but this is obviously not that species.

New Pacific Coast Cynipidae (Hymenoptera)