Druon quercuslanigerum

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Druon quercuslanigerum
Druon quercuslanigerum asexual gall.jpg
Asexual gall of Druon quercuslanigerum on Quercus virginiana
Druon quercuslanigerum sexual gall.png
Sexual gall of Druon quercuslanigerum on Quercus virginiana catkin
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Cynipidae
Genus: Druon
Species:
D. quercuslanigerum
Binomial name
Druon quercuslanigerum
(Ashmead, 1881) [1]
Synonyms
  • Cynips lanigeraAshmead, 1881
  • Andricus lanigeraAshmead, 1885
  • Andricus lanigerWeld, 1951
  • Andricus quercuslanigeraBurks, 1979

Druon quercuslanigerum is a species of gall wasp that forms galls on Quercus virginiana , Quercus geminata , Quercus fusiformis , and Quercus oleoides . There are both asexual and sexual generations. The asexual generation forms galls on the leaves whereas the sexual generation forms galls on the catkins. It can be found in the southern United States and Mexico. [1] Predators of this species include the green parakeet. [2]

Contents

Taxonomy

Druon quercuslanigerum was first described in 1881 by William Harris Ashmead, as part of the genus Cynips , but moved the species to the genus Andricus four years later. In 2022, it was moved to the re-established genus Druon . [3]

Description

The asexual generation gall consists of an inner capsule of mature galls with a woolly covering, typically appearing on the underside of leaves along the mid-vein. A mature gall measures 1.0–7.0 mm in diameter and 2–3 mm high. The woolly covering varies from creamy white to yellowish-white when older, and the inner capsule is light brown. The galls can appear singly or in clusters of three to six galls. [1]

The sexual generation galls form on catkins in the spring. They appear as a small (~1 mm) ovate swelling of the central stem of the catkin. [1]

The asexual generation female is reddish-brown and measures 2-2.5 mm, while the smaller sexual female is dark-red brown to black and measures 1.4–2.1 mm in length. The sexual generation male, similar in coloration to the female, measures 1.2–1.6 mm in length. [1]

Life history

Upon emerging from catkin galls in mid-March to early April, the sexual generation mates and lays eggs in the mid-rib of new leaves. The woolly galls develop from mid to late summer through the fall and winter, with asexual females emerging from September through February. This emergence period coincides with catkin bud production, where the asexual females lay their eggs. The emergence period of the asexual generation is approximately ten times longer than that of the sexual generation. [1]

Related Research Articles

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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

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

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

The common spangle gall on the underside of leaves and the currant gall on the male catkins or occasionally the leaves, develop as chemically induced distortions on pedunculate oak, or sessile oak trees, caused by the cynipid wasp Neuroterus quercusbaccarum which has both agamic and bisexual generations.

<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 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.

<i>Feron kingi</i> Species of wasp

Feron kingi, the red cone gall wasp, is a species of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae.

<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 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 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.

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.

<i>Druon</i> (wasp) Genus of wasps

Druon is a genus of gall wasps in the family Cynipidae. The type species is Druon protagion. Recognised species include:

<i>Druon ignotum</i> Species of wasp

Druon ignotum is a species of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae.

<i>Druon fullawayi</i> Species of wasp

Druon fullawayi, also known as the yellow wig gall wasp, is a species of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. It was previously placed in the genus Andricus. William Beutenmüller described the female adult wasps as 1.5-2.25 mm long, black with brown mouth parts and brown legs. The galls of D. fullawayi are tan or yellow, woolly, and measure 5-8 mm in diameter. Each gall holds a single chamber for larvae. They are found in California on oak trees, especially Quercus lobata.

<i>Feron pattersonae</i> Species of wasp

Feron pattersonae, also known as the plate gall wasp, is a species of oak gall wasp in the genus Feron. Their hosts are among the white oaks grouping of oaks, with blue oak being common.

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.

<i>Belonocnema kinseyi</i> Species of gall wasp

Belonocnema kinseyi is a species of gall wasp that forms galls on Quercus virginiana and Quercus fusiformis. There are both asexual and sexual generations. The asexual generation forms galls on the underside of leaves whereas the sexual generation form galls on the roots. It can be found in the United States, where it is known from Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. It, along with the other described Belonocnema species, have been used to study speciation.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hood, Glen R; Zhang, Linyi; Topper, Leah; Brandão-Dias, Pedro F P; Del Pino, Gaston A; Comerford, Mattheau S; Egan, Scott P (30 April 2018). "'Closing the Life Cycle' of Andricus quercuslanigera (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae)". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 111 (3): 103–113. doi:10.1093/aesa/say005. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  2. Alexander, Charles (2016). "GREEN PARAKEETS FEEDING ON WOOL-BEARING GALL WASP LARVAE (ANDRICUS QUERCUSLANIGERA)" (PDF). Bulletin of Texas Ornithological Society. 49 (1–2): 100–102. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  3. Cuesta-Porta, Victor; Melika, George; Nicholls, James A.; Stone, Graham N.; Pujade-Villar, Juli (2 May 2022). "Re-establishment of the Nearctic oak cynipid gall wasp genus Druon Kinsey, 1937 (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini), with description of five new species". Zootaxa. 5132 (1): 1–92. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5132.1.1. PMID   36101114.