Article XV.-CATALOGUE OF GALL-PRODUCING INSECTS FOUND WITHIN FIFTY MILES OF NEW YORK CITY, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THEIR GALLS, AND OF SOME NEW SPECIES. By WILLIAM BEUTENMÜLLER. This catalogue is based mainly upon specimens of galls in the collection of the American Museum of Natural History, which were gathered by me during 1889-92 inclusive, when collecting entomological material for the Museum and for the Jesup Collection of Economic Entomology.' To make the catalogue as complete as possible I have also added such species as have already been recorded, or reported to me as having been taken within the area specified. It was originally my intention to also incorporate the descriptions of the gall-flies, whenever known, but for various reasons I have omitted them from the present catalogue. The vegetable deformations called galls are produced by insects. Generally an egg is inserted in a bud, a leaf, a root, or some other part of the plant, and the presence of this foreign body. among the vegetable cells causes an abnormal growth of a definite shape. The variety of galls in respect to structure and substance is very great. Every species of gall-producing insect attacks its own particular plant and a particular part of that plant, and produces a gall of a definite and uniform structure. The galls enumerated in this catalogue are produced by insects belonging to the following orders: (1) Hymenoptera (Cynipida and Tenthrenida); (2) Diptera (Cecidomyidæ and Trypetida); (3) Hemiptera (Aphide and Psyllide); (4) Arachnida (Mites). Besides these groups, which are the principal gall-producers, some few species of other insects also produce gall-like excres cences. I am fully aware that this catalogue is incomplete, and that a considerable number of species will yet be added as soon as we have a better knowledge of the species of gall-insects found in the vicinity of New York City. The figures accompanying this catalogue were drawn from nature by Mr. R. Weber, and are all natural size. HYMENOPTERA. CYNIPIDE. Rhodites bicolor (Harris). PLATE IX, FIG. I. Cynips bicolor HARRIS, Ins. Inj. Veget. 1841, p. 399. Rhodites bicolor OSTEN SACKEN, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil. Vol. II, pp. 43, 48. Round, covered with numerous long prickly spines, almost as long as the diameter of the gall. In summer the gall is yellowish green, and is sometimes tinged with red. The perfect insect was briefly described by Harris (1. c.), and a detailed description was given by Osten Sacken (1. c.). Harris's types are in the collection of the Boston Society of Natural History. The species is common on the twigs of different kinds of wild roses, growing in clusters of two or more. Common. Numerous specimens. Coll. Am. Mus. Nat Hist. Rhodites ignota Osten Sacken. PLATE IX, FIG. 2. Rhodites ignota OSTEN SACKEN, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil. Vol. II, pp. 43, 49. This gall is round, about the size of a pea, and covered with a white mealy substance. Sometimes two or three of these galls coalesce, thus forming an elongated mass of more irregular shape. In texture the gall is hard and woody, and each contains several cells. I have taken it plentifully on the leaves of Rosa carolina, in September, at West Farms, New York City. Two examples. Coll. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. Rhodites radicum Osten Sacken. PLATE IX, FIG. 3. Rhodites radicum OSTEN SACKEN, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil. Vol. II, pp. 42, 46. Found at the roots of various kinds of wild roses. The gall is irregularly rounded, and with a deep depression above and below at the place of attachment to the roots. It is smooth and red dish brown in color. The inside is composed of a pithy substance, and contains numerous cells. Taken on Staten Island by Mr. Wm. T. Davis and myself. Six specimens. Coll. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. Rhodites globulus, n. sp. PLATE IX, FIG. 4. This is certainly the unnamed gall described by Osten Sacken (Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil., Vol. II, p. 42). The gall is smooth, rounded and rises at each end abruptly from the branch. In substance it is rather soft and corky, with numerous cells inside. In form it is sometimes more or less oblong or is almost round, and measures from three-quarters of an inch to an inch and a half in length and is about three quarters of an inch in diameter. Found on Swamp Rose (Rosa carolina) on Staten Island. GALL-FLY. Male.-Head jet black, not shining, rugosely punctate. Antennæ black. Thorax deeply corrugated, jet black above and below. Legs black with joints and tarsi yellowish brown. Body shining black, finely punctured. Length, 3 mm. It is also Female.--Differs from the male by having only the posterior pair of legs marked with black and the two other pairs wholly yellowish brown. larger, with the anal valve considerably longer. Length, 5 mm. Described from one male and one female. Types Coll. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. Rhodites dichlocerus (Harris). PLATE IX, FIG. 5. Cynips dichlocerus HARRIS, Ins. Inj. Veget. 1841, p. 399. This gall is an elongated, hard, woody swelling, gradually tapering at both ends. It occurs on the branches of Rosa carolina. The originator of the gall was briefly described by Harris (1. c.) and accurately characterized by Osten Sacken (1. c.). Taken at Kingsbridge, N. Y., and on Staten Island. Not common. I have examined the type specimen of the gall in the Museum of the Boston Society of Natural History. Several examples. Coll. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. Rhodites verna Osten Sacken. PLATE IX, FIG. 6. Rhodites verna OSTEN SACKEN, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil. Vol. II, pp. 41, 47. Taken by me on Staten Island on the Wild Rose (Rosa lucida). The gall is somewhat allied to Rhodites dichlocerus Harr. It is oblong or rounded, and about one-third of an inch long. Sometimes there is a series of three or four such swellings attached to each other, and in this respect differs from R. dichlocerus. The figure here given was drawn from an authentic specimen in the Museum collection. Rhodites rosæ (Linn.). Cynips rosa LINN. Syst. Nat. 10th Edit. Vol. I, p. 533. Rhodites rosa OSTEN SACKEN, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil. Vol. II, p. 47; HARTIG, Zeitschr. f. d. Ent. II, 1840, p. 194. This gall, according to Osten Sacken, is identical with the European species, where it is well known under the name of 'Bedeguar,' said to mean rose apple. In this country it occurs on the Sweet Briar (Rosa carolina). It is composed of an agglomeration of hard cells around a branch, and is wholly covered with long and dense green filaments, forming a moss-like mass an inch and a half or more in diameter. I have taken a gall of a similar nature on the leaves and stems of the common Blackberry (Rubus villosus) and which probably is identical with Rhodites rosa Linn. Not common. One example. Coll. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. Diastrophus bassettii, n. sp. PLATE IX, FIG. 7. The gall of this species was found by Mr. W. T. Davis on Staten Island, on the stems of the Trailing Blackberry (Rubus canadensis ?). It is irregularly rounded or somewhat elongated, and grows near the ground, but not beneath the surface as does D. radicum Bass. In color it is greenish, and is tinged with red. Inside there are numerous rounded cells in the pithy substance of which the gall consists. Mr. H. F. Bassett informs me that he also found this gall many years ago on the stems of the 'Trailing Blackberry,' but did not secure the gall-flies and therefore did not describe it. The gall is very different from that of D. radicum Bass., under which name it has been known to me for some time past, but comparing it with type specimens of D. radicum, kindly sent me by Mr. Bassett, I find it totally different. In cutting open one of the galls I found two mature flies and several partly-developed specimens. The flies may be described as follows: Head jet black, very shining, with a number of shallow punctures, in each of which is a very short yellowish hair. Mouth parts pitchy brown. Thorax shining, smooth, jet black, with two deep longitudinal grooves; scutellum less shining and deeply corrugated, as are also the sides and extreme anterior portion of the thorax. Antennæ testaceous, thirteen-jointed; first joint elongated, much thicker at the extreme end than at the base; second joint almost globular and about one-half as long as the first; third joint slender, longer than the first, becoming slightly thicker toward the apex; fourth to sixth joints about the same size and shorter than the third; the remaining joints are still somewhat smaller, but are about the same size; last joint, bud-shaped. The antennæ are also sparsely covered with short yellowish hair. Body jet black, shining. testaceous. Two males. Length, 4 mm. Types of gall and flies in Coll. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. Diastrophus cuscutæformis Osten Sacken. PLATE X, FIG. 1. Legs, Diastrophus cuscuta formis OSTEN SACKEN, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil. Vol. II, pp. 39, 45. This gall infests the branches of the common Blackberry (Rubus villosus), and consists of globular, woody, seed-like bodies. They are pressed closely together, and each is provided with more or less spines. Not common. Two specimens. Coll. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. Diastrophus nebulosus Osten Sacken. PLATE X, FIG. 2. Diastrophus nebulosus OSTEN SACKEN, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil. Vol. II, p. 36; RILEY, Am. Ent. Vol. II, p. 159; FULLER, Am. Ent. Vol. III, p. 63; SAUNDERS, Ins. Inj. Fruit, p. 318. This large swelling is found on the canes of the Blackberry (Rubus villosus). It is about two or three inches long, and when immature is dark green, turning red or reddish brown as the season advances. It is oblong in form, with the surface some |