Disholcaspis pattersoni

Quercus breviloba
Stem galls, detachable
Dark red, tip darker, sessile, clasping at base, secreting honeydew.

[Photo caption]
On Q breviloba. Galls appear in late July, secrete honeydew, mature in August, contain pupae in Oct and adults by Nov 5. Some emerged Dec 2 (TX) Galls collected at Boerne TX and kept out of doors on ground in wire breeding cages at Evanston IL contained living adults on Feb 19 after six weeks without a thaw; others emerged Mar 23 and Apr 22.

Disholcaspis pattersoni

The writer collected the galls of this species on shin oak, Quercus breviloba at Austin, Boerne, and Kerrville, Tex. Galls at Boerne contained adults October 25, adults November 13, and when galls were placed in out-of-door cages at Evanston, IL., adults emerged November 20 and December 1. Five living flies were found in cage February 19 after six weeks without a thaw, four more March 23 and one April 22.

Disholcaspis pattersoni, new species

GALL. — Large, bluntly conical, bullet gall, in compacted clusters about the twig. Each gall primarily a true cone, but distorted by pres- sure of surrounding galls, a slight projection basally extending into the twig, and a slight overlapping of the primarily circular base about the twig; dark purple when fresh, becoming rich brown, darker at the tips; smooth; averaging 8. mm. in diameter by 12. mm. high. Internally solid, the larval cell oval, 2. x 4. mm., with a distinct, shell-like wall, not at all separable; cell located below the mid-point of the gall but not at the very base. On twigs of Quercus breviloba.

RANGE. — Texas: Austin (Patterson); Round Rock, Leander.

The gall of this cynipid has been known to me for several years, but previously I have not had the adult. I am glad to be able to name this for Dr. Patterson who successfully reared the insect. In 1921 Dr. Patterson found young galls on July 28, mature galls on August 29, pupae by October 21, mature adults in the galls by November 5, and emerging adults on December 12. I collected galls in abundance on December 6 and 8, 1919, at Round Rock and Leander, not far north of Austin, but all of the adults had emerged previously. Emergence dates must vary considerably with the development of the seasons in different years.

This is probably a variety of Disholcaspis bassetti Gillette, but until I can see the types and more material of bassetti I cannot be certain of the relationships of pattersoni.