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.
Andricus opertus, the fimbriate gall wasp, is a species of wasp in the family Cynipidae whose bisexual generation induces elongate, spiky galls on the leaves of various species of oaks in California, including valley oak and scrub oak. The galls of the bisexual generation form in spring, adults emerge in late spring, and galls persist on trees until the fall. The unisexual generation of this species forms aborted bud galls in the summer and fall.
Phylloteras is a North American genus of gall wasps in the family Cynipidae, tribe Cynipini .
Phylloteras volutellae, the conical oak gall wasp, is a species of gall wasp , tribe Cynipini , found in North America.
Feron parmula, also known as the disc gall wasp, is a species of oak gall wasp in the genus Feron. It induces galls in a wide selection of oak species, especially white oaks, and including hybrids. The galls are disc-shaped, up to 3 mm in diameter, and pale with red streaking. Adult females emerge in April. The galls induced by F. parmula superficially resemble the galls of Feron gigas,Andricus viscidus, and newly identified species called the "plate gall wasp" and the "orange-cap gall wasp" by Richard Russo. Galls induced by this wasp have been documented in Oregon and California on the Pacific coast of North America.
Burnettweldia plumbella, also known as the beaked twig gall wasp, is a species of gall wasp. Previously in the genus Disholcaspis, it was moved into a new genus, Burnettweldia, in 2021. This wasp induces galls on oak trees, including blue oak, leather oak, Muller's oak, and scrub oaks. The galls are up to 15 mm in diameter and brightly colored, coming in either red with yellow spots or green with yellow spots. Their name comes from the galls' pointed tip. Galls are formed in spring and summer, and adults emerge from them in November and December. The adult wasps are 3–4 mm in length.
Feron bakkeri, also known as the pinched leaf gall wasp, is a relatively uncommon species of gall-inducing hymenopteran. They produce pink leaf galls on Oregon oaks and scrub oaks. The distribution of this wasp is California and Oregon in North America. It was previously placed in the genus Andricus.
Andricus stellaris, the sunburst gall wasp, is a fairly common species of cynipid wasp that produces galls on blue oaks and Oregon oaks on the Pacific coast of North America. The wasp oviposits on the underside of leaves, between the lateral veins; the larval chamber is the brightly colored spot at the center of the gall. The chamber is surrounded by a crystalline structure.
Atrusca bella, 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. The wasp oviposits on Arizona white oak, Mexican blue oak, netleaf oak, Toumey oak, and shrub live oak. The larval chamber is at the center of the gall, connected to the husk by slender, radiating fibers. The gall induced by this wasp is larger, lighter-colored, and more common than the similar gall induced by Atrusca brevipennata. This wasp has been observed in Arizona and New Mexico.
Besbicus is a genus of gall-inducing cynipid wasp found in North America. Several species now classed as Besbicus were formerly considered to be a part of the genus Cynips. Besbicus was originally described as a subgenus by Alfred Kinsey in 1929. Circa 2010, one group of entomologists noted that it was "possible that the nearctic genera Antron and Besbicus were erroneously synonymized to Cynips".
Besbicus conspicuus, formerly Cynips conspicuus, also known as the fuzzy gall wasp, is a common species of cynipid wasp that induces globular stem galls on white oak trees on the west coast of North America. This gall is solid but for the central larval chamber. After the wasp emerges, beetles sometimes chew through the husk to consume the tissue inside. Besbicus conspicuus galls are sometimes mistaken for Disholcaspis washingtonensis galls. This wasp is found west of the Sierra Nevada range in California in North America.
Besbicus multipunctatus, formerly Cynips multipunctatus, also known as the gray midrib gall wasp, is a common species of cynipid wasp that induces galls on oak trees on the west coast of North America. The wasp oviposits on the midrib of the underside of blue oak leaves. The galls induced by this wasp are solid, except for the large central larval chamber, and are detachable. This wasp is found primarily, but not exclusively, in California.
Besbicus maculosus, formerly Andricus maculosus and Cynips maculosa, also known as the pear gall wasp, is an uncommon species of cynipid wasp that induces galls on oak trees on the west coast of North America. The wasp oviposits on leather oak and scrub oak leaves. Fresh galls are green. This wasp has been observed in California.
Besbicus heldae, formerly Cynips heldae, also known as the thorny gall wasp or thorn gall wasp, is an uncommon species of cynipid wasp that induces bud galls on Oregon oak and valley oak trees on the west coast of North America. Fresh gall are rose pink, measure 6–16 mm in diameter, and have a "mealy-granular" surface and possibly overlapping, disorderly looking "spikes". Galls are detachable and turn brown as they age. This gall superficially resembles the galls induced by Burnettweldia corallina or Cynips quercusechinus.
Burnettweldia conalis, formerly Disholcaspis conalis, the witches' hat gall wasp, is a species of hymenopteran that induces stem galls on Oregon oaks in North America. The conical stem galls look like witches' hats lined up on a stick. The base of the detachable gall appears to grip the stem. Typical galls are 10 to 18 millimeters tall. Young galls are green, aging galls are fuzzy, and old galls are beige. The type species was collected in Sequoia National Park.
Burnettweldia washingtonensis, formerly Disholcaspis washingtonensis, the fuzzy gall wasp, is a species of hymenopteran that induces stem galls on white oaks on the Pacific coast of North America. The detachable galls have a little stem or neck, are gray or beige and fuzzy, and measure about 8–10 mm in diameter. The larval chamber is located at the center of the ball, the interior of which is otherwise chocolate brown. Older galls may appear pitted. The locally common galls induced by this wasp are sometimes mistaken for the galls induced by Besbicus conspicuus.
Diplolepis californica, formerly Rhodites californicus, also known as the leafy bract gall wasp, is a species of cynipid wasp that induces galls on wild roses on the Pacific coast of North America. D. californica induces club-shaped bud galls that naturalist Richard A. Russo describes as "distinguished from all others by the flat, leafy lobes that emanate from the main gall body and look like aborted leaflets". Each gall contains multiple larval chambers. One of host plants of the leafy bract gall wasp is Rosa californica.
Heteroecus sanctaeclarae, also known as the mushroom gall wasp, is a species of cynipid wasp that induces galls on huckleberry oaks and canyon live oaks on the Pacific coast of North America.
Diplolepis bicolor, also known as the spiny bud gall wasp, is a species of cynipid wasp that induces bud galls on wild roses. This gall wasp is found throughout North America. The galls measure 10 to 12 mm in diameter and have a superficial resemblance to the leaf galls induced by Diplolepis polita.
Diplolepis bassetti, also known as the mossy rose gall wasp, is a species of cynipid wasp that induces bud galls on wild roses in North America. Hosts include interior rose, Nootka rose, and pine rose.
