Phylloteras volutellae

Phylloteras volutellae
Galls on bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
Galls on swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Cynipidae
Genus:	Phylloteras
Species:	P. volutellae
Binomial name
Phylloteras volutellae Ashmead, 1897
Synonyms
Xystoteras volutellae

Phylloteras volutellae, the conical oak gall wasp, is a species of gall wasp (family Cynipidae), ^[1] tribe Cynipini (oak gall wasps), ^[2] found in North America. ^{[3] [4]}

Larvae induce galls on the leaves of white oaks, including bur oak (Quecus macrocarpa) and swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor). ^[5]

Description

Each gall contains a single larva and is formed on the underside of host leaves, often in clusters. The detachable gall is conical in shape and concave at the top. ^{[6] [7]}

The adult emerges from the gall in early January, but is otherwise undescribed. ^[6]

Ecology

Inquiline species found in the galls include Synergus walshii Gillette, 1896 (Cynipidae). ^[8]

References

1. Weld, Lewis H. (1959). "Cynipid Galls of the Eastern United States". The Canadian Entomologist. The Entomological Society of Washington.
2. Stone, Graham N.; Schönrogge, Karsten; Atkinson, Rachel J.; Bellido, David; Pujade-Villar, Juli (January 2002). "The Population Biology of Oak Gall Wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae)" . Annual Review of Entomology. 47 (1): 633–668. doi:10.1146/annurev.ento.47.091201.145247. PMID   11729087.
3. "Phylloteras Ashmead, 1897". GBIF.
4. "Phylloteras volutellae". Discover Life.
5. "Phylloteras volutellae". Gallformers.
6. Ashmead, William (1897). "Descriptions of Five New Genera in the Family Cynipidae". The Canadian Entomologist. 20–21. Biodiversity Heritage Library: 260. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
7. "Species Phylloteras volutellae". BugGuide.net.
8. Nastasi, Louis F.; Deans, Andrew R. (24 Aug 2021). "Catalogue of Rose Gall, Herb Gall, and Inquiline Gall Wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) of the United States, Canada and Mexico". Biodiversity Data Journal. 9: e68558: e68558. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.9.e68558 . PMC   8408096 . PMID   34539199.