Euura proxima

Nematus proximus
Pontania proxima
Nematus gallicola
Nematus vallisnierii
Nematus redii
Pontania gallicola
Messa hyalina
Euura flavipes
Pontania daedala

Bionomics. Host plants: Salix alba, S. × fragilis, S. × rubens, S. babylonica (Kopelke 2005; a rarely used host, or misidentified, according to Zinovjev 1999), S. blanda (Halstead 2001), Salix × meyeriana (= Salix pentandra × euxina), S. euxina (Zinovjev 2011), S. fragilis × pentandra (Mol 2013), S. excelsa (Özay 1997). According to Zinovjev (1999: Table 5), rare records (e.g. Conde 1938) of proxima group galls from S. pentandra are probably attributable to E. proxima, because this willow belongs in the subgenus Salix, like the other host species of E. proxima, whereas E.bridgmanii is restricted to hosts of subgenus Vetrix

Range: Europe; Introduced to N. America, Australia and New Zealand

Pontania hyalina Norton.

"Fleshy galls occurring in two parallel rows, one on either side of the midrib, sometimes touching but not originating from the latter, and rarely extending to the edge of the leaf; sometimes as many as twenty on a single leaf; in other cases confined to a row on one side of the leaf or occasionally occurring singly; shape irregular elongate-ovate, projecting equally on both surfaces of the leaf; length 7 to 10 mm.; the abortive ones smaller. Colour on upper side more or less brownish red ; beneath white, with slight purplish tinge." — Marlatt.

The anatomy of this gall presents scarcely any differentiation of tissue. When mature it consists of a mass of thin-walled chlorophyll- bearing cells, the innermost of which are arranged in rows almost at right angles to the blade of the leaf, as seen in Fig. 75. Cells are so much alike that they afford no clue as to their origin.

Again I was able to obtain material so young that the larva was still confined within the egg membrane (Figs. 73, 74). It shows that the spongy parenchyma, the palisade parenchyma and the epidermis of the normal leaf were jointly concerned in the production of the abnormal tissue. The spongy parenchyma has contributed nearly half of the entire mass, the epidermes three layers each, and the row of cells immediately overlying the lower epidermis three layers. The remainder has been derived from the palisade parenchyma.

Pontania hyalina

Ovate, fleshy, reddish, willow leaf galls in parallel rows on either side of the midrib, brownish red, beneath white, tinged with purple, length 7 to 10 mm, on S fragilis

Pontania hyalina

Salix [Salix exigua added as a placeholder]
Leaf galls

Ovate, reddish gall in rows on either side of midrib, length .25 to .375 inch, sawfly, spring

Pontania hyalina

Host: Salix alba

The galls are arranged in two almost parallel rows, one on each side of the midrib of the leaf. This is the most plentiful willow gall in this vicinity. The host has been planted in large numbers and few of these escape infection.

Range: Toronto, Ontario

Pontania hyalina

Messa hyalina

Gall. — (Frontispiece, fig 2.) Fleshy galls, occurring in two parallel rows, one on either side of the midrib, sometimes touching but not originating from the latter, and rarely extending to the edge of the leaf; sometimes as many as twenty on a single leaf; in other cases confined to a row on one side of the leaf, or occasionally occurring singly; shape irregular, elongate-ovate, projecting equally on both surfaces of the leaf; length 7 to 10 mm., the abortive ones smaller. Color on upper side more or less brownish red; beneath white, with slight purplish tinge. The galls result from the punctures of the females in the very tenderest leaves, the wound closing and becoming invisible. The eggs and larvae are subject to the attacks of mites, Thrips, a curculionid (Anthonomus sycophanta Walsh), and a lepidopterous larva which eats out the entire interior of the gall, tenthredinid larva and all.

Many specimens. New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Canada. (Colls. Am. Ent. Soc. and U. S. Nat. Mus.)

Galls: Boscawen, N. H., C. V. Riley, collector, July 16-25, 1883, "on Salix fragilis, a large tree, 50 to 70 feet high, with a rough bark and trunk, smooth branches, and galls very plentiful on younger leaves all over the tree." The adults were obtained between April 29 and May 21, 1881 ; also chalcidid and other parasites.

Magnolia, Mass., July 10, 1883; gallmaker not reared. Hymenopterous parasites issued July 20, 1883.

Richfield Springs, N. Y., Theo. Pergande, collector, February 8, 1880; adults issued March 3 to April 21, 1887; also chalcidid parasites and a dipterous guest fly.

Pittsburg, Pa., J. C. Leach, collector, July 25, 1891.

Pointe au Pic, Quebec, Canada, E. Corning, collector, August 28,1891.

Pontania proxima

Pontania daedala, n. syn.

Type locality. — Ithaca, New York.

Valid name. — Pontania proxima (Serville 1823) (= P. daedala MacGillivray), n. syn.

Notes. — The remnants of host-plant leaves in the vial (M-92) de- posited in the USNM cannot be identified to species, but the sawfly is undoubtedly P. proxima.