| Atrusca brevipennata | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Sandia Foothills Open Space, New Mexico, 2022 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Cynipidae |
| Genus: | Atrusca |
| Species: | A. brevipennata |
| Binomial name | |
| Atrusca brevipennata (Kinsey, 1920) | |
| Synonyms | |
Andricus pellucidus | |
Atrusca brevipennata, formerly Andricus pellucidus, also known as the little oak-apple gall wasp, is a locally common species of cynipid wasp that produces galls on oak trees in North America. [1] The wasp oviposits on shrub live oak and Gambel oak leaves. [1] The larval chamber is at the center of the gall, connected to the husk by slender, radiating fibers. [1] This wasp is most commonly observed in the American Southwest, as far north as Denver. [2] It is visually similar to, and may be confused with, Atrusca bella . [1]
Atrusca brevipennata was first studied and introduced to the scientific community by American biologist and sexologist Alfred Kinsey. [3]