First records of Cecidomyia candidipes (Diptera : Cecidomyiidae) in Wisconsin

Gagne (1978) presented a systematic analysis of Cecidomyia, the pitch midge s, containing 11 species: eight from North America and three from Eurasia. Cecidomyia candidipes Foote (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Cecidomyinae: Cecidomy ini) has been reported in the literature from New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebe c, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland and New York exclusively on white pine, Pinus strobus Linnaeus. C. candidipes is of potential concern to agricultur al commodity inspectors of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade an d Consumer Protection (WDATCP) as a potential pest of Christmas tree planta tions. The first specimens were submitted to the author for identification in 1997. Scouting for white pine damage is done by looking for oozing pitch masses on the main trunk. The orange to pink colored larvae were found in the pitch while cocoons of pupae were found in the pitch, just outside the pitch and on bark or twigs well away from the pitch flow (D. Wall, personal communication). Department of Natural Resources (DNR) personnel field coll ected and incubated pupae at room temperature (65-70 degrees F). Larvae wer e identified by R. L. Gagne of the Systematic Entomology Laboratory, Washin gton D.C. The first adult reared was identified by the author, confirmed by Gagne, and the remaining adults were identified by the author. All the spe cimens are deposited in the University of Wisconsin Insect Research Collect ion, Department of Entomology, Madison WI.