Andricus infectorius

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Andricus infectorius
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Cynipidae
Genus: Andricus
Species:
A. infectorius
Binomial name
Andricus infectorius
(Hartig, 1843)

Andricus infectorius is a species of gall-forming wasp. The species was named by the German biologist Theodor Hartig, in 1843 and is found in Europe.

Contents

Description of the gall

The asexual generation is a 10–20 mm spherical gall, found from late-May through to October when it matures. Found on the terminal bud of a branch, it is initially green and as it matures darkens to dark brown; falling to the ground in the winter. [1] [2] The gall is found on Hungarian oak ( Quercus frainetto ), sessile oak ( Quercus petraea ), downy oak ( Quercus pubescens ) and pedunculate oak ( Quercus robur ). [2]

Oak gall wasps often have two generations per cycle, with one sexual and one asexual; each creating different galls. According to Milan Zúbrik et al. (2013), the sexual generation of the gall is unknown, but likely to be on Turkey oak ( Quercus cerris ). [1] A very small, ovoid gall on the catkins of Turkey oak may be the sexual generation. [2]

Distribution

This species has been found in some western and central European countries but is absent from Belgium, Germany, Spain and Switzerland. [3] It has recently been found in Great Britain. A 2013 gall found on Trengwainton Carn, near Penzance, Cornwall was initially identified as Andricus inflator . According to Dr C Leach of the British Plant Gall Society, it is more likely to be A. infectorius. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Quercus cerris</i> Species of plant

Quercus cerris, the Turkey oak or Austrian oak, is an oak native to south-eastern Europe and Asia Minor. It is the type species of Quercus sect. Cerris, a section of the genus characterised by shoot buds surrounded by soft bristles, bristle-tipped leaf lobes, and acorns that usually mature in 18 months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gall wasp</span> Superfamily of wasps

Gall wasps, also traditionally calledgallflies, are hymenopterans of the family Cynipidae in the wasp superfamily Cynipoidea. Their common name comes from the galls they induce on plants for larval development. About 1,300 species of this generally very small creature are known worldwide, with about 360 species of 36 different genera in Europe and some 800 species in North America.

<i>Andricus quercuscalicis</i> Species of wasp

Andricus quercuscalicis is a gall wasp species inducing knopper galls.

<i>Andricus kollari</i> Species of insect

Andricus kollari, also known as the marble gall wasp, is a parthenogenetic species of wasp which causes the formation of marble galls on oak trees. Synonyms for the species include Cynips kollari, Andricus quercusgemmae, A. minor, A. indigenus and A. circulans.

<i>Andricus foecundatrix</i> Species of wasp

Andricus foecundatrix is a parthenogenetic gall wasp which lays a single egg within a leaf bud, using its ovipositor, to produce a gall known as an oak artichoke gall, oak hop gall, larch-cone gall or hop strobile The gall develops as a chemically induced distortion of leaf axillary or terminal buds on pedunculate oak or sessile oak trees. The larva lives inside a smaller hard casing inside the artichoke and this is released in autumn. The asexual wasp emerges in spring and lays her eggs in the oak catkins. These develop into small oval galls which produce the sexual generation of wasps. A yew artichoke gall caused by the fly Taxomyia taxi also exists, but is unrelated to the oak-borne species. Previous names or synonyms for the species A. fecundator are A. fecundatrix, A. pilosus, A. foecundatrix, A. gemmarum, A. gemmae, A. gemmaequercus, A. gemmaecinaraeformis and A. quercusgemmae.

<i>Andricus lignicola</i> Species of wasp

Cola-nut galls develop as a chemically induced distortion of leaf axillary or terminal buds on pedunculate oak or sessile oak trees, caused by the agamic gall wasp Andricus lignicola which lays single eggs within leaf buds using their ovipositor. A previous name or synonym for the species A. lignicola is A. lignicolus and A. venheurni.

<i>Neuroterus anthracinus</i> Species of wasp

Neuroterus anthracinus is a widely distributed gall wasp that forms chemically induced leaf galls on oak trees. N. anthracinus has both sexual and agamic generations and in consequence forms two distinct galls, the oyster gall and April-bud gall.

<i>Andricus</i> Genus of wasps

Andricus is a genus of oak gall wasps in the family Cynipidae.

<i>Andricus grossulariae</i> Species of wasp

Andricus grossulariae is a gall wasp species inducing agamic acorn cup galls on oak tree acorn cups and sexual phase galls on catkins. Synonyms include Andricus fructuum, Andricus gemellus, Andricus intermedius, Andricus mayri and Cynips panteli.

<i>Andricus dentimitratus</i> Species of wasp

Andricus dentimitratus is a gall forming wasp in the genus Andricus. The adults lay their eggs on various species of oak and the developing larvae causes the trees to create a large ornate gall. The oaks parasitised include Quercus frainetto, Q. petraea, Q. pyrenaica, Q. pubescens and Q. robur. The gall is formed out of the cup of the acorn. In cross-section it resembles a mushroom. It is woody, maroon, shiny and sticky. It grows up to 25 mm high and 20 mm wide. What resembles the head of the mushroom is lobed or toothed in various ways. The insect emerges from the narrowing, between the head and base.

<i>Andricus quercuscalifornicus</i> Species of wasp

Andricus quercuscalifornicus, or the California gall wasp, is a small wasp species that induces oak apple galls on white oaks, primarily the valley oak but also other species such as Quercus berberidifolia. The California gall wasp is considered an ecosystem engineer, capable of manipulating the growth of galls for their own development. It is found from Washington, Oregon, and California to northern regions of Mexico. Often multiple wasps in different life stages occupy the same gall. The induced galls help establish complex insect communities, promoting the diversification in niche differentiation. Furthermore, the adaptive value of these galls could be attributed their ecological benefits such as nutrition, provision of microenvironment, and enemy avoidance.

<i>Andricus aries</i> Species of wasp

Andricus aries is a species of gall-forming wasps, in the genus Andricus. The species was named by the French entomologist Joseph-Étienne Giraud, in 1859. It is commonly found in eastern Europe and during the 21st century has spread to western Europe.

Aphelonyx kordestanica is a gall wasp species in the family Cynipidae whose life cycle involves only Palaearctic oaks, Quercus subgen. Quercus, in the section Cerris.

<i>Andricus curvator</i> Species of wasp

Andricus curvator is a gall wasp which forms chemically induced leaf galls on oak trees and has both agamic and sexual generations. Agamic and sexual generations usually form two distinct galls on oak trees, but in the case of A. curvator there are six galls; the sexual generation usually on the leaf, occasionally in a twig or catkin, and the agamic generation in a bud. The wasp was first described by Theodor Hartig, a German biologist, in 1840 and is found in most of Europe.

<i>Andricus corruptrix</i> Species of wasp

Andricus corruptrix is a species of gall-forming wasp, in the genus Andricus. It is found in Europe.

<i>Andricus inflator</i> Species of wasp

Andricus inflator is a species of gall-forming wasps, in the genus Andricus, which has a sexual and an asexual generation, producing two different galls. The wasp was named by the German biologist Theodor Hartig, in 1840 and is found in Europe.

Andricus mukaigawae is a species of gall wasp native to southeastern Asia. It creates galls on the buds and leaves of oak trees. The galls are sometimes used by other gall wasps unable to create galls of their own, with both species sharing the gall.

Synergus japonicus is a species of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. Whereas most gall wasps create the galls in which they live, Synergus japonicus is an inquiline species, living in the gall created by another species of wasp. It is native to Japan, China and Russia.

<i>Andricus quercuspetiolicola</i> Species of wasp

Andricus quercuspetiolicola, also called the oak petiole gall wasp, is a species of oak gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. Galls in which the larvae live and feed are formed along the midrib or petiole of white oak leaves.

Andricus hispanicus is a parthenogenetic species of wasp which causes the formation of marble galls on oak trees. The galls caused by the agamous generation are similar to the closely related Andricus kollari.

References

  1. 1 2 Zúbrik, Milan; Kunca, Andrec; Csóka, György (2013). Insect and Diseases Damaging Trees and Shrubs of Europe. N A P Editions. p. 381. ISBN   978-2-913688-18-6.
  2. 1 2 3 Ellis, W N. "Andricus infectorius (Hartig, 1843)". Plant Parasites of Europe. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  3. "Andricus infectorius (Hartig, 1843)". Fauna Europaea. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  4. Fenwick, David. "Andricus infectorius - An oak gall (Wasps - Hymenoptera)". Aphotofauna. Retrieved 28 November 2019.