Vol. XXvii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 2OI Gall Midges of Certain Chenopodiaceae (Dip.). By E. P. FELT, Albany, New York. The discovery in 1913 of a species (Aplony.v sarcobati Felt) leferable to an European genus and at that time unknown out-side of the Mediterranean region, was most interesting. The rearing early this year of a closely allied genus, described be-low, from greasewood, adds to the interest, and on investigat-ing the distribution of these gall midges and their close allies, it is noteworthy that none have been found outside of the Mediterranean region and the arid plains of the West. The conditions obtaining in the former section are suggestive in that they may throw some light upon probable revelations fol-lowing further exploration. In the Mediterranean region, spe-cies of Aplony.v and Stefaniella have been reared from Atri-plcx, Dibaldratia and Stcfaniola from Salsola, Baldratia and Baldraticlla from Salicornia, while in America Aplony.v has been reared from Sarcobatus and Protaplony.v from grease-wood, ( ?) Sarcobatus vernriculatits. All of these genera are closely related in that they present the typical Lasioptcra aspect. They may be distinguished by the simple or feebly dentate claws and a distinct tendency to-ward reduction in both the antennal and palpal segments, the former ranging in number for the seven genera above named from six to fourteen and being mostly twelve or thirteen, while five of the genera have but one palpal segment, Stefaniella two, and Protaplony.v four. There is also in this group of genera a marked tendency toward an aciculate, chitinous ovi-positor. The Chenopodiaceous flora of our great plains is at least moderately abundant and it is reasonable to suppose that there is a number of new species and possibly new genera in addi-tion to the one described below, awaiting discovery. These saline-or alkaline-loving plants present certain characters in common and as in the case of Aster and Solidago, appear to have a peculiar midge fauna.
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