Pontania resinicola, new species

Gall. — (Frontispiece, fig. 1.) On leaves of Salix californica [eastwoodiae] collected by Albert Koebele at Donner, Placer County, Cal., September 5, 1885. The galls occur in clusters of two to eight on the basal portion of the leaf, beginning usually at the very apex of the petiole. They are commonly paired — if but two, one on either side, or two or four on a side, as the case may be — occasionally occurring singly. In general size and appearance the individual galls resemble those of desmodioides, but are rather more robust or globular, projecting equally on both sides of the leaf and occupying the leaf entirely from the midrib to the edge. Where two or more occur together, they are merged into each other, forming a com- pound gall. In color they are red or pink on the upper side and light yellowish green on the lower. The larva is large and rather robust, indicating a fairly good-sized insect. I have doubtfully referred the gall to Pontania resinicola, the largest Californian representative of the genus, although the galls from which the adults were reared by Mr. Koebele were not saved by him and the ones sent to Washington yielded only an ichneumonid parasite (Bassus euurae) and a tortricid.

Pontania resinicola

Salix
Leaf galls

Globose, commonly paired, red or pink, yellowish or green below, on S californica [eastwoodiae], sawfly, spring