Disholcaspis purpurea n. sp.
Agamic form

Gall. — Basically similar to that of D. perniciosa. Ellipsoidal or swollen (less often compressed), cushion-shaped, usually without a nipple-like tip though sometimes with a blunt tip; color yellow brown to tan, rose brown, and darker brown, darkening with age; essentially smooth and shining, without bloom or scurf; up to 8. mm. in length and 7. mm. high; occurring in dense, elongate clusters of up to 30 galls spread for 40. mm. or more along the stems.

Host. — Quereus repanda var. [unclear if this is Quercus repanda or Quercus microphylla today], the low, dwarf oak of the region. Range. — Hidalgo: Jacala, 24 SW, 680J’, — Jacala, 7 NE, 5000’. — Probably restricted to the repanda group of dwarf oaks in a portion of the Eastern Sierra of Mexico which includes the northern end of the state of Hidalgo.

Life History. — Adults: December 1, 4, 10, 11, 14. January 1, 8, 24. Most of the emergence near the middle of December.

This insect, from the very low dwarf oaks of northern Hidalgo, belongs to the perniciosa-potosina-pulla lines of species in the perniciosa complex. The geographically closest species is potosina. The galls of purpurea are somewhat larger than those of potosina, and distinctly swollen cushion-shaped — not laterally compressed as in potosina.

- Alfred Kinsey: (1937) New Mexican gall wasps (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae)^©