Neuroterus pallidus Bassett

Gall. In dense clusters at or near the ends of the aments of swamp white oak (Quercus platanoides [bicolor]), early in spring. Monothalamous. Round, smooth, and unevenly globular. Pale faded wood color and of a fine soft cellular consistence. They are fragile and may be easily crushed.

Habitat: NY, NJ, CT

A distinct species readily known by its pale color. The gall is also very characteristic and may be easily known from other species found on the sterile flowers of the oaks.

Neuroterus pallidus

Quercus bicolor
Flower galls
Smooth, globular, tan, thin-walled in a compact cluster at or near the end of a staminate axis. CT. Entered from lit.

[Photo caption (no photo)]
Q bicolor. Dense cluster near end of ament.

[no entry for this species, only mentioned in passing in the description of Neuroterus chapmanii]

N pallidus Bassett (galls are in clusters, usually on the end of catkins)

Oak Flower-Stem Gall (Neuroterus pallidus Bass.)- — Small, unevenly globular, smooth and of a fine, soft cellular consistence. Pale wood color. In masses on flower stems of swamp white oak (Quercus platanoides [bicolor]). Not common.

Neuroterus pallidus

Globose, monothalamous, pale wood colored galls in dense clusters near the ends of the aments, on Q platanoides [bicolor]

Neuroterus pallidus n.sp.

Galls in dense clusters at or near the end of the aments of Q. bicolor, but seldom found on the basal half of the flower stems. It is safe to call them monothalamous, though now and then a gall is found that contains two larval cavities. The galls are of a fine, soft cellular consistence, easily crushed in the fingers, and contain no separate larval cell. They are of a pale, faded wood color and smooth, and unevenly globular. They seem to be free from the attacks of parasites, for among thousands of galls I fail to find a single one.

The flies mature earlier than the two species already described as found on the sterile flowers of the oak, for, when found, the insects had gone with the exception of a few belated ones, from which I have made the following description. They are of both sexes.

Neuroterus minutus variety pallidus Bassett

Neuroterus pallidus

Hosts: Quercus bicolor

GALL. — A compact cluster of seed-like cells in the aments. Each cell usually monothalamous, egg-shaped, about 2.0 mm. long by 1.2 mm. wide, drying brown in color; thin-walled, entirely hollow, without any other wall of a larval cell. Forming compact clusters 7. by 3. mm. ; on the aments of Quercus bicolor (fig. 44).

RANGE. — Connecticut: Waterbury (Bassett). New York: New York City (Beutenmuller). New Jersey (Beutenmuller). Probably confined to Q. bicolor in a northeastern part of the United States.