mokennon's Favorites

Collection and photos by Steve Scholnick, originally posted to BugGuide, reposted with permission
https://bugguide.net/node/view/2073674#3715077

Original comment:

"Lake Needwood, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA
December 15, 2021
Size: body 2mm
Keyed out to Cynipini using Buffington et al. (1). If I've done that correctly, the key distinctions from Diplolepidini in couplet 18 are the lack of "a broad crenulate mesopleural impression", the lack of "a median vein stump projecting distad " on forewing 2r, and the hypopygium isn't "plough-shaped". This one has the bullae in wing veins R1+Sc and Cu1 that I've only seen in photos of Belonocnema but it lacks the long foretibial spur of that genus. In addition, I've not seen anything suggesting that those bullae are a useful diagnostic feature.

I found this one on a fence railing so I don't know what the gall looked like nor have I found any keys that would allow me to try to take the ID further. I've looked at Melika & Abrahamson (2) but didn't get anywhere with it.

TIA"