Andricus flavohirtus, new species.

Gall: On the terminal twigs of swamp white oak (Quercus platanoides [bicolor]) early in June. Monothalamous, globular, and thin-shelled, containing no separated larval chamber. Green when fresh, brown or gray when old. It is embedded in a cluster of short, lanceolate, aborted leaflets, more or less concealing the gall. When mature it drops to the ground, leaving the bunch of leaflets on the twig. Diameter, 3 mm.

Habitat: NJ

Andricus flavohirtus

Quercus alba, bicolor, macrocarpa, prinoides
Bud galls
Globular, smooth, surrounded by bracts which persist and enlarge after gall drops in June (=frondosa).

"Like Andricus flavohirtus"

Quercus margaretta
Bud galls
(=frondosa of old lit.)

Quercus stellata
Bud galls
Bunched bracts in summer, the gall having dropped out and bud scales have continued to grow. Very common. Like frondosa of old literature.

[Photo caption]
On Q bicolor. Also on Q stellata, alba, macrocarpa. Galls attacked by guests do not drop, the bud scales enlarge and this "frondosa" mass is conspicuous in winter but yields only guests in May. The maker emerges from galls that drop in the spring but normal date of emergence is not known. Fig 101 shows the appearance in winter.

Cynips quercus frondosa, new species
New species of galls, the flies of which are as yet unknown to me

Quercus chinquapin [muehlenbergii]

Gall a cone-like body, developed from the axillary leaf-buds, and covered when green and often when dry with a dense, rose-like cluster of imperfectly developed leaves. The cell containing the larva smooth, shining, oval, about one-eighth of an inch long, half immersed in the apex of the cone.

These singular and very pretty galls are developed after the summer growth of the tree is completed, and the axillary buds are formed. The sting of the insect causes the buds that would otherwise remain undeveloped till the following year, to develop in the autumn in the abnormal manner described above.

The rudimentary leaves are green, ligulate, and the more perfectly developed galls resemble, more than anything else I can think of, the flowers of the common Artemesia of the flower garden. They are not common, but I have several times met with them, and the clump of oak bushes from which my specimens were gathered was covered with them. The larvae are now fully grown. On the same bushes I found a gall like C. q. globulus Fitch, — and several dry, brown galls on the petioles of the leaves, apparently those of C. q.petiolicola.

Andricus flavohirtus

Globose, monothalamous, thin-shelled bud gall, green, turning brown or gray, imbedded in short, lanceolate, aborted leaves more or less concealing the gall, diameter 3 mm, on Q platanoides [bicolor]

Andricus quercusfrondosus, new status

Cynips quercus frondosa
Andricus flavohirtus

The synonymy of these two names was noted by Weld (1959:42) who continued to use Beutenmuller’s name for the species, probably because he regarded Bassett’s name, based solely on the gall, as a nomen nudum. However, Bassett’s name is available (Art. 24 b (iii)). The synonymy was not included in the second supplement to the Hymenoptera Catalog (Weld, 1967).

Although much of Bassett’s collection is housed in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, part or all of his type galls of quercusfrondosa are in the USNM. Bassett did not give a locality for his species nor is one indicated with the galls, but presumably they originated in Connecticut. Comparison of Bassett’s galls with those of flavohirtus Beutenmiiller shows that Weld’s synonymy is correct. We have selected one of Bassett’s galls as lectotype.

Bassett’s original description is usually cited as 1864, but a footnote on pages 684-685 is dated Jan. 28, 1865. Thus the latter year is the correct date for quercusfrondosus .