Location: upper leaf, lower leaf, between leaf veins
Form:
Cells:
Possible Range:
The gall's range is computed from the range of all hosts that the gall occurs on. In some cases we have evidence that the gall does not occur across the full range of the hosts and we will remove these places from the range. For undescribed species we will show the expected range based on hosts plus where the galls have been observed.
Created Feb 4, 2026 1:47 PM UTC
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Last updated Feb 4, 2026 1:47 PM UTC
Biosystematics and morphology of Symphyta. II. Biology of gall-making nematine sawflies in the California region
Edward L Smith
(1970)
Pontania with Type II galls [Smith does not name or describe a species and is ambiguous about whether he considers these host varieties or distinct species on each host.]
[A cross sectional drawing appears in Figure 4, on page 5 of the pdf]
Pontania with Type II galls are confined to the exiguoid willows (in California, S exigua and varieties, and S. geyeriana Andersson). These cecidia are large (9-12 mm), round, thin-walled, have a slightly wrinkled surface, and protrude through both upper and lower surfaces of the leaf. They do not fit any of Benson's categories. S. geyeriana is very pruinose (covered with a white, waxy bloom), and so is the gall. The unidentified Pontania is a robust amber and brown species. Since S. exigua is not pruinose, neither is the gall. The Pontania on it is entirely black. These 2 willows are sympatric in transmontane California (i.e., that portion of California east of the Sierra Nevada Crest) from 1200 to 2100 m, and so are the sawflies.