Cynips polita, n. sp.

Galls round, monothalamous, found abundantly in midsummer on both surfaces of the leaves of Quercus obtusiloba [stellata], at or near the summit of young and thrifty shoots, from one to fifteen or twenty on a single leaf. They are from one-fourth to three-fourths of an inch in diameter, and are when grown in the shade of a paler green than the leaf, but when exposed to the sun are red or brown. They are attached so slightly to the mid- vein and its branches that their removal leaves little if any trace. The shell is when dry extremely thin and brittle, and the single round larval cell is kept in a central position by fine radiating and branching fibres that extend to the outside shell. These galls resemble, except in their mode of attachment to the leaf, those of C. singularis B., but the insects differ considerably. They are also somewhat like those of C. inanis Harris, but are many times smaller. The insects are fully mature in October, but remain in the galls over winter. I received my specimens of this species from Mr. E. Potts, of Philadelphia, and from Mr. Thomas Annadown, of Glassboro, N. J., and Mr. P. H. Uhler informs me that they are very abundant in southern New Jersey and in some parts of Maryland. The shining and finely polished thorax and abdomen suggest the specific name given to the insect.

Xanthoteras politum

Quercus alba
Leaf galls, detachable
A small oak apple, red or brown, 6-19 mm in dia, group of 1-20 on upper or lower side of leaf in fall.

Quercus chapmanii
Leaf galls, detachable
Oak apple, 6-18 mm in dia, not spotted, in numbers on leaf in fall.

Quercus stellata
Leaf galls, detachable
Reddish oak apple, not spotted, 6-19 mm in dia, in numbers on both sides of leaf in fall. Adults emerge the next spring March to June.

[Photo caption (no photo)]
Q stellata, chapmani, alba (rare). In FL galls develop in May and adults emerge the last of Feb and in Mar. Galls from TX gave adults the next spring Apr 25.

Diplolepis polita [distinct from the rose gall of the same name]

Galls have been seen at Tuxedo (F. V. Rand), Md.; Washington, D. C. ; Falls Church, Va. ; Jacksonville, Daytona, Ocala, and Gainesville, Fla.; Clyde, Sisco, Eastland, Ranger, Mingus, Gordon, Santo, Weatherford, Mineola, Palestine, and Trinity, Tex. ; Hugo and Tuskahoma, Okla. ; Koshkonong (R. L. Barrett) and Ironton, Mo. At Falls Church overwintering galls gave flies April 2. Texas galls sent to Evanston, IL., began to give adults April 25.

Trigonaspis polita (Bassett 1881)

Hosts: Quercus chapmanii

[Asexual generation detachable leaf gall found in the fall]