2007,pp - Società Siciliana di Scienze Naturali

290 M. SKUHRAVÁ, V. SKUHRAVY´ & B. MASSA
or two larvae that pupate inside (Pl. IV, Fig. 22). Two generations develop per
year. Occurrence: DE STEFANI (1903, 1906c) found galls in July on the Monti
di S. Martino (Palermo) (600 m). Distribution: primarily Euro-Siberian
species with disjunct area. It has been imported to North America and New
Zealand for biological control of Hypericum perforatum.
UNIDENTIFIED SPECIES
Galls of several gall midge species that were recorded on various host
plants in Sicily need further research to ascertain which species is the causer.
It is necessary to find galls once more at localities where they were found in
the past, to preserve larvae in 75% alcohol for future examination and to try
to rear adults to identify the causer. We arrange them in the following part
alphabetically, according to the host plants.
Atriplex halimus L.
Galls of about 2 mm size, globulose, protruding on both leaf surfaces,
caused by Cecidomyiidae, found at Santa Ninfa (Trapani). Reference: DE
STEFANI jr (1942).
Betula aetnensis Rafinesque
Plemeliella sp. Reference: LONGO et al. (2001) recorded a species belonging
to the genus Plemeliella on Etna without giving the description of the gall.
Euphorbia spp.
Galls on Euphorbia bivonae, caused by Perrisia sp., found at “Favorita”,
Palermo, in April; they are formed by 4-5 overlapped leaves, like a spindleshaped
button, acutely ending, and contain different yellow-red larvae. Reference:
DE STEFANI (1905c).
Galls similar to those above recorded, but containing withish larvae, found
on Euphorbia ceratocarpa Ten., caused by an unidentified Cecidomyiidae, at
Monti di Renda, in October and November. Reference: DE STEFANI (1907b).
Galls on Euphorbia characias in the same locality and months, with the
same characteristics of those found on E. bivonae above cited. Reference: DE
STEFANI (1907b) wrote that larvae pupate inside a withish cocoon and galls
are similar to those of Perrisia subpatula Bremi, with the only difference that
they are plurilocular.
Lathyrus clymenum L.
Rolled leaflets caused by Dasineura sp. (as Perrisia sp.). References: DE