Cynips (bella) aspera, new species
agamic form

GALL.-Similar to all galls of the C. bella and C. dugèsi complexes. Mature galls rosy or (more often) light yellowish tan, always conspicuously mottled with purplish brown; sometimes large, up to 17. mm., but averaging much smaller, nearer 13. mm. in diameter. Figure 93.

HOSTS.—Quercus undata, Q. chihuahuensis, Q. sacame [arizonica]. Probably on all of the white oaks of the area.

RANGE.-Chihuahua: Parral, 12 W, 6800" (galls, Q. undata, Q. sacame). Parral, 20 S (Q. undata; types). Durango: Villa Campos, 21 S, 6700' (Q. undata). Indé, 20 E, 6300' (Q. chihuahuensis). Canatlán, 7 N, 7400' (Q. undata; one female only). Apparently confined to a portion of the Western Sierra of Mexico in southernmost Chihuahua and Northern Durango. Figure 96

LIFE HISTORY.—Adults: November 8. January 29, 30. February 9, 10, 22. Most of the emergence early in February.

This is the southernmost species of the bella complex. The northern limit of the range of aspera (Parral in southernmost Chihuahua) coincides with the northern limit of the range of C. (dugèsi) deceptrix, but deceptrix extends for 175 miles south of the southernmost point (east of Indé) from which we have aspera. Aspera is distinguished from the related pomifera to the north by having bright or rich rufous on the head, thorax, antennae, and legs, and an areolet of smaller size. These characters are, however, highly variable, and since the galls of aspera and pomifera agree in being light tan with a conspicuous purplish brown mottling, there is some reason for considering these two as one species.

The mottled galls of aspera are almost always readily distin guishable from the uniformly tan, dull-surfaced galls of C. (du gèsi) deceptria. They differ in no respect from the mottled galls of C. (bulboides) aequalis (q.v.) which is known from several localities in Northern Chihuahua.

Atrusca aspera (Kinsey, 1936)

Figs 33–46

Synonymy
Cynips (bella) aspera Kinsey, 1936: 172, female, gall.
Atrusca aspera (Kinsey): Weld 1952: 313

Types examined

HOLOTYPE female Cynips aspera (bella) “Parral 20S Chi, Mex. Gall 10.21.31, very many fms. 2.10.32”, “Q. undata, Kinsey coll.”, red “Cynips aspera, Holo- Paratype,” deposited in AMNH, NYC, examined by GM. Ten PARATYPE females “Parral 20S, Chi, Mex. Galls 10.29.31, 66 females 2.10.32”, deposited in the general collection in AMNH, NYC, examined by GM.

Gall (Fig. 46)

Similar to all galls of the Kinsey’s bella and dugesi complexes. Mature galls rosy or light yellowish tan, conspicuously mottled with purplish brown, up to 17 mm, in average 13 mm in diameter.

Biology

The asexual generation is only known to induce leaf galls on Q. arizonica (= Q. sacame), Q. chihuahuensis, Q. undata. Galls mature in late autumn; adults start to emerge from December till January–February next year.

Distribution

Mexico: Chihuahua, Durango