Ampeloglypter sesostris

Ampeloglypter sesostris

In his First Report as State Entomologist of Missouri, p. 131, Dr. C. V Riley describes this species under the name Madarus vitis, stating that the larva formed its gall in the Fall, pupating in June and developing to the adult about two weeks later. He therefor gave as a remedial and preventive measure the collecting and burning of infested canes during Winter. In the " American Entomologist," Vol. II, p. 10"). the same writer states that the galls first become visible towards the latter end of July, the larva- producing them wintering over within these galls, but not becoming full grown until the Spring of the following year, pupating during the latter part of June and in a couple of weeks developing to adults. On May 6, 1898, a lot of dried leaves were brought from a vineyard near the lake shore about Gypsum, O., where they had fallen the Autumn before and been blown by the winds into bunches along an Osage orange hedge, remaining there throughout the Winter and placed in a breeding cage in 1 lie insectary. From among these leaves adults of A sesostris began to appear May 23, and continued t do so in consider- able numbers for several days. On June 24 my assistant visited the vineyard Jfrom which the leaves had been taken, and found a large number of galls on the new growth of cane, and within these galls were larv;e of considerable size. The same vineyard was again visited by myself on August 11, when all stages of development ex- cept the egg were found within the galls, the larvae now being- all of them nearly or quite full grown, while some of the adults were observed in the act of making their way out from the galls. I visited this vineyard again on September 15, and could then find only a single pupa (), after long and patient searching, this being in a gall in the latter growth of cane, all other galls, except for parasites, being entirely empty. A later examination, made early in November, revealed not a single adult in the galls, but a solitary one (a, ft) was discov- ered among the fallen leaves, where it was probably in hiber- nation. In this series of observations it seems to me that we have conclusive proof that in Northern Ohio at least the species is single brooded, the adult wintering over among fallen leaves and other similar rubbish, coming forth in Spring in time to begin ovipositiou in the earliest growth of cane. The greater abundance of galls in the earlier growth of cane points to the fact that the adults are abroad in numbers, and ready to begin ovipositiou, as soon as there is sufficient growth of young cane to afford them the necessary nidus, and while the period of ovipositiou for the species in any one locality may be, and probably is, considerably protracted, though, as previously shown, the season of development is over by the first of October. 

From within the galls I have taken pup?e from which a par- asite, Catolaccus tylodermae, known to also attack the larva of Tylodermae foccolatum, was also reared. and also pupa; (g) of a small fly, Myiophasia aenea. Of three of these latter pupae, two gave me adult flies, while the third developed a secondary, hymenopterous parasite (i), Calyptus tibiator.

As the locality where these observations were made is fully three degrees of latitude north of St. Louis, Mo., it is quite possible that there may be a considerable difference in the habits of this species, and this seems all the more likely from the fact that while the climate along the lake shore is really milder in Winter than it is a few miles farther inland, vet the ice in the lake, in Spring, usually remains long- enough to delay the putting forth of the early growth of cane, and also tends to keep the insect longer in hibernation. It is also interesting to note that although the hibernating adults were placed under a comparatively high temperature, probably from 65 to 80 Fah., yet they did not bestir themselves until about the time when proper facilities for oviposition would be offered them in their native haunts. 

Some notes on the grape-cane gall-maker Ampeloglypter sesostris