Cynips (dugèsi) spadix, new species
agamic form

GALL.-Similar to all galls of the C. bella and C. dugèsi complexes. Mature galls yellow to light rosy tan, unspotted, usually shining, sometimes puberulent or even powdered; large to very large, up to 32. mm., averaging near 22. mm. in diameter. Figure 54.

HOST.-Quercus macrophylla. Not on Q. nudinervis in the same area.

RANGE.-Guerrero: Taxco, 8 NE, 8000' (types). Chilpancingo, 6 S, 4000'. Tierra Colorada, 14 N, 3200'. Probably restricted to Quercus macrophylla in a southwestern portion of Mexico, involving most of the state of Guerrero. Figure 18

LIFE HISTORY..—Adult: January 20. February 1, 10. March 10.

Spadix is known to extend from the northern boundary of Guerrero to the southwestern limit of oak, not 25 miles from the Pacific Coast, on the road from Mexico City to Acapulco. The galls of spadix are more or less distinctive in a complex of mostly uniform galls. They are light yellow tan and in some cases very large in size and pruinose in surface. The material from our most southern locality, Tierra Colorada in Guerrero, includes more large and distinctly pruinose specimens than the material from the type locality (Taxco, in northeastern Guerrero); but the insects from these two collections appear identical, and we credit the differences in the two lots of galls to the fact that one is a larger and more inclusive series.

Near Taxco, Quercus macrophylla and Q. nudinervis may be found growing together. Spadix is confined to macrophylla. On Q. nudinervis the conspicuously spotted galls of C. conexa represent the same complex. See conexa for the distinctions between the two.

In Morelos there is another insect, C. spinalis, which matches spadix in color, but it matches spinifera in its long spine, smooth mesopleuron, and light olive tan galls.

Atrusca spadix (Kinsey, 1936)

Figs 489–502

Synonymy
Cynips (dugesi) spadix Kinsey, 1936: 132, female, gall.
Atrusca spadix (Kinsey): Weld 1952: 315.

Types examined

HOLOTYPE female Cynips (dugesi) spadix “Taxco 8NE Gro 8000’, Mex. Gall 1.7.32, 62 fms. 3.10.32”, “Q. macrophylla, Kinsey coll.”, red “Cynips spadix, Holo- Paratype”, deposited in AMNH, NYC, examined by GM.
Three PARATYPE females “Taxco, 8NE, Gro 8000’, Mex., gall 1.7.32, 62 female 3.10.32”, red label “Cynips spadix Paratype”, deposited in the general collection in AMNH, NYC, examined by GM.

Gall (Fig. 502)

The gall is similar to all galls of Kinsey’s bella and dugesi complexes. Mature galls yellow to light rosy tan, unspotted, usually shining, sometimes puberulent or even powdered, up to 32 mm, in average 22 mm in diameter.

Biology

The asexual generation is only known to induce leaf galls on Q. magnoliifolia (= Q. macrophylla). Galls mature in late autumn; adults emerge in January–March next year.

Distribution

Mexico: Guerrero.