Callirhytis ovata, new species

Host. — Quercus catesbaei Michaux, Quercus myrtifolia Willdenow, Quercus texana Buckley.

Gall. — Cells in and protruding from the brown bark at crown of small trees, 5 to 10 cm. underground. When single, they are elliptical in outline, sessile, 6 mm. high by 5 mm. in diameter, light brown in color and smoother than the surrounding bark. Exit hole 2.6 mm. in diameter at distal end. They are sometimes detachable. They often occur in rows or in groups of a dozen or more. When confluent, a local swelling of the bark is produced, but the number of cells contained is evident. The figure shows galls on Q. myrtifolia. On Q. catesbaei they usually occur on larger roots at least 2 to 5 cm. in diameter and often in the angles where branch roots arise.

Habitat. — The type galls were collected at Marianna, Florida, October 11, 1919, on Q. catesbaei and then contained pupae. Living flies were cut out of the galls on December 3. More were taken at Ocala October 30, and these also contained pupae. Galls found at Ocala April 15, 1914, were empty. These galls were also found at Madison and Jacksonville. The species transforms inside the galls in November and probably emerges in early spring. The fact that some galls still contained larvae in December when others in the same groups contained adults suggests that the emergence is distributed over two years. Similar galls were collected on Q. myrtifolia at Daytona, Florida, on November 20, 1919. Some pupae had already trans- formed into adults and a few were still in pupa state when flies were cut out on November 28 and December 3. At Boerne, Texas, October 26, 1917, old galls were seen on Q. texana as well as full-grown fresh ones, some of which contained a thick nutritive layer and others pupae or adults.

Callirhytis ovata

Quercus catesbaei [laevis], cinerea [incana], myrtifolia, texana [buckleyi],
"Root" galls
Ellipsoidal, sessile, single or groups, 6 mm high by 5 mm in dia, colored like normal bark.

[Photo caption]
On Q myrtifolia. Also on Q catesbaei [laevis], cinerea [incana], texana [buckleyi]. Contained both pupae and adults on Dec 3 (FL). Galls were empty on Apr 15.

Andricus ovatus

Hosts: Quercus laevis, shumardii, texana, myrtifolia

GALL. — Elliptical, hollow, standing out from the bark of roots. Monothalamous, altho several galls may more or less solidly fuse. Each gall globoid to ovoid or egg-shaped, up to 4. mm. in diameter by 6. mm. long, usually smaller, covered with bark mostly of normal color and texture, somewhat smoother; a direct continuation of the root bark, altho the galls stand out distinctly from the bark; a large, circular exit hole terminally. Internally entirely hollow (in mature galls), the walls moderately thin, a distinct woody lining inside of the bark wall. On very large roots or on rootlets not 2. mm. in diameter; on black oaks.

RANGE.— Florida to Texas.

This is a very distinct root gall. The insects pupate late in the fall, soon becoming adults, but not emerging until early in the spring. The three varieties I have seen are distinct as to color, two of them remarkably so. It has been a mistake to completely ignore variation in color as tho occurring without order in any group of individuals. These color differences are correlated with very definite morphologic characters, and with host and geographic distribution. It is too much to expect one variety to become the next if transplanted from one oak to another or one locality to another. But host and geographic isolation have separated distinct forms in this species. The galls of all of the varieties are very similar.

[Kinsey goes on to describe several varieties that differ by host, range, and gall morphology; see paper for details]

Callirhytis ovata (Weld 1921)

Hosts: Quercus laevis, inopina, myrtifolia

[Asexual generation root galls found in Florida in the fall.]