Celticecis conica Gagne, new species

Hosts: Celtis laevigata, occidentalis

Gall.--On leaf lamina on underside of leaf, found singly or in groups; upright, short-conical, evenly tapered from circular unsplayed base to narrowly rounded apex; hairless, glabrous, green, turning yellow to brown; ca. 2.5 mm high and 1.5 mm wide at base; connection to leaf circular, flat, ca. 1/3 width of gall base; apparent on opposite side of leaf as slight, sometimes discolored convexity; gall in cross section thick around base and thinning gradually toward apex, the subcylindrical larval chamber as long as gall.

Affinities. — The gall of this species is the smallest gall on hackberries after that of C. cupiformis, but is evenly conical rather than barrel-shaped. See under C. spiniformis for further discussion. [C spiniformis entry: Affinities. — Nine species of Celticecis appear to form a natural group: C. spiniformis, C. aciculata, C. acuminata, C. capsularis, C. conica, C. cupiformis, C. pilosa, C. subulata, and C. supina. All form galls on the leaf lamina except for C. supina whose galls are attached to veins, usually minor ones.]

Biological notes.--In Maryland, galls were first noticed on May 12, already with second instars. Full grown larvae were found in late June and had formed cocoons by early July. Some galls persisted on the leaf at least through mid-September. Third instars are white until full-grown when the anterior half of the body turns yellow.

Distr.--This species is widely distributed in the eastern half of U.S. and occurs on both northern hackberry and sugarberry. Its relative rarity may be due to its small size, causing it to be overlooked; still, the fact that it was never found in Texas but occurs in Louisiana and Arkansas is remarkable.

AR, GA, KY, LA, MD, OH, WV