Pontania amentivora, new species

This species lives, in the larval stage, in the pistillate catkins of a small species of Salix and causes the destruction of the ovaries and the premature forming of "cotton."

Range: VA

Pontania amentivora

Type locality. — Falls Church, Virginia.

Host plant. — Salix sp. [Salix exigua used as a placeholder]

Notes. — According to Rohwer "this species lives, in the larval stage, in the pistil- late catkins of a small species of Salix and causes the destruction of the ovaries and the premature forming of 'cotton'." This species is currently placed as a synonym of Amauronematus amentorum (Forster) (Smith 1979). The catkin feeders, including this and some related species previously placed in Amauronematus Konow belong in the genus Pontoprista Malaise.