Aulacidea tumida

Aulacidea podagrae

Aulacidea harringtoni

Aulacidea nabali

Aulacidea ambrosiaecola

Aulacidea tumida (Bassett)

Aulax tumidus BASSETT
Aulax tumida DALLA TORRE
Aulacidea tumida KIEFFER
Aulax timidus JARVIS
Aulax sonchicola ASHMEAD
Aulacidea sonchicola KIEFFER
Aulacidea solidaginis GIRAULT

Gall. (Plate XXIV, Figs. 1-8.) On the stalks of wild lettuce (Lactuca canadensis), usually near the summit and often in the panicle, and then covered with short flower stalks. Polythalamous. More or less rounded or elongate irregular swellings of various shapes. Green when fresh and brown when old and dry. Inside (Fig. 8) the gall is pithy and contains numerous larval cells: Length, 25-75 mm. 

Habitat: Canada; New England and Middle States, southward and westward. 

Aulacidea podagrae (Bassett)

Aulax podagrae BASSETT

Gall. (Plate XXV, Figs. 1-4.) In the pith of the stalks of wild lettuce (Lactuca canadensis). Polythalamous, sometimes causing a swelling of the stalk. 

Habitat: Canada; New England and Middle States, south and westward. 

The adult is closely allied to A. tumida, but differs from this species by being darker, and by the more evenly wrinkled thorax and more rugulose scutellum. The gall varies from small pits in the pith of the stalk without any traces of swellings externally, to swellings measuring from 10 to 300 mm. in length and from 10 to 60 mm. in diameter.

Aulacidea bicolor (Gillette)

Aulax bicolor GILLETTE
Aulacidea bicolor KIEFFER
DALLA TORRE and KIEFFER
Aulax mulgediicola ASHMEAD
Aulacidea mulgidiicola ASHMEAD
Aulacidea mulgediicola KIEFFER
Aulacidea mulgedicola DALLA TORRE and KIEFFER

Gall. (Plate XXV, Fig. 5.) Consists simply of a thin-shelled larval cell imbedded in the pith of wild lettuce, Mulgedium (Lactuca) acuminata, and Lactuca canadensis. Usually there are numerous cells crowded together side by side in the pith, and externally the stem or stalk shows no apparent gall, swelling or deformation, although occasionally a slight swelling of the stalk occurs. 

Habitat: Massachusetts; Connecticut; New York; New Jersey; District of Columbia; North Carolina; Illinois. 

The types of Aulacidea bicolor Gillette are in the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History and were sent to me for examination by Mr. C. A. Hart. I have also seen the types of Aulacidea mulgediicola Ashmead in the United States National Museum and thev are the same as A. bicolor.

Aulacidea harringtoni (Ashmead) 

Aulax harringtoni ASHMEAD
Aulacidea harringtoni KIEFFER

Habitat: Canada (Ottawa). 

The type, a single female, is in the United States National Museum. The thorax is somewhat shining, with the punctation very minute. The parapsidal grooves sharply defined, and the median groove short and not extending to the middle of the thorax. The anterior parallel lines are extremely fine and scarcely evident, and the scutellum is evenly rugose. The abdomen, legs, and two basal joints of the antennre are red brown, and the remaining joints of the latter are black. The gall is unknown. 

Aulacidea cavicola (Ashmead)

Aulax cavicola
Aulacidea cavicola

Habitat: Missouri (Indian Cave). The types, two females of this species are in the United States National Museum, and nothing concerning the gall is known. I have examined the types, but am not prepared to give an opinion upon them without further study. I am, however, inclined to believe that the species will prove to be the same as Aulacidea tumida. 

Aulacidea nabali (Brodie)

Aulax nabali BRODIE
Aulacidea nabali KIEFFER

Gall. (Plate XXVI, Figs. 1-7). At the base of the stems of Nabalus altissima, usually in masses surrounding the stem, often extending down on the main root, rarely on the main fibres of the roots, usually about an inch under the ground, sometimes partly above the ground. Polythalamous. Roughly sperical, usually aggregated in irregular cylindrical masses of 4 to 14, resembling small knotty artichokes or irregular white potatoes. The anterior of the gall has the appearance and consistence of a raw potato. When mature, in September, the gall retains its pale appearance through the winter, but in spring darkens in color. When dry the interior presents the appearance of corky fibrous folds, with numerous larval cells. Diameter 5 to 10 mm. 

Habitat: Canada (Toronto); Massachusetts; New York; New Jersey. 

A fine lot of galls of this species, collected at Magnolia and North Brookfield, Massachusetts, were sent to me by Miss Cora H. Clarke and Mr. Frank Dobbin. The specimens were obtained in September and October, and the adults emerged late in December. 

Aulacidea ambrosisecola (Ashmead)

Aulax ambrosiceola ASHMEAD
Aulacidea ambrosicecola KIEFFER

Habitat: Missouri (Kirkwood). 

Little is known regarding this species. The tvpes are in the United States National Museum. Dr. Ashmead states that the insects from which his description was made, were received from Miss Murtfeldt with the statement that they were parasitic on a lepidopterous gall-maker on Ambrosia. Mr. Ashmead believes that there is some mistake in this statement as the flies are unquestionably true gall-makers and evidently form larval cells in the pith of Ambrosia, not observed bv Miss Murtfeldt; and, moreover, their structural characters prove conclusively that they are not parasitic. It is also quite probable that the Lepidopteron is inquilinous in the galls produced by this species. I have seen the types and believe the species will ultimately prove to be nothing more than a variety of Aulacidea bicolor. 

The North American species of Aulacidea and their galls