''Andricus quercuspetiolicola'', also called the oak petiole gall wasp, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of oak gall wasp in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Cynipidae Gall wasps, also incorrectly called gallflies, 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 genera ...

Gall Galls (from the Latin , 'oak-apple') or ''cecidia'' (from the Greek , anything gushing out) are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to be ...

s in which the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e live and feed are formed along the

midrib This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...

or petiole of white oak leaves.Weld, L. Hart. (1959). Cynipid galls of the Eastern United States. Ann Arbor, Mich.

Range

This species occurs throughout the eastern half of North America where its host plants grow.

Galls

Gall of Oak Petiole Gall Wasp Andricus quercuspetiolicola on Bur Oak

The oak petiole gall wasp forms galls on

white oaks The genus ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many large genera, is divided into subgenera and sections. Traditionally, the genus ''Quercus'' was divided into the two subgenera '' ...

, including ''

Quercus alba An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably '' ...

'', '' Q. bicolor'', '' Q. montana'', '' Q. macrocarpa'', '' Q. michauxii'', '' Q. prinoides'', and '' Q. stellata''. The galls of the sexual generation are round or club-shaped and formed on the petiole or midrib of the leaves in spring, with adults of both sexes emerging from galls in late June and early July. The gall is a firm swelling with a scar at the apex and contains several cells, each with a larva. It is initially green but becomes brown and woody as it ages. The galls and timing of the

agamic Religion *Āgama (Buddhism), a collection of Early Buddhist texts *Āgama (Hinduism), scriptures of several Hindu sects *Jain literature (Jain Āgamas), various canonical scriptures in Jainism Other uses * ''Agama'' (lizard), a genus of lizards ...

generation are unknown.

Parasitoids In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionary strategies within parasi ...

of the oak petiole gall wasp include the crypt-keeper wasp (''Euderus set'').

Taxonomy

The adults were first described by

Homer Franklin Bassett Homer Franklin Bassett (September 2, 1826 – June 28, 1902) was an American hymenopterist specializing in gall wasps. In addition, he was the librarian of Silas Bronson Library in Waterbury, Connecticut. Early life and education Bassett was ...

in 1863 with the name ''Cynips quercuspetiolicola'', though the galls had been previously described by Carl Robert Osten-Sacken. This species is now considered to be in the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Andricus ''Andricus'' is a genus of oak gall wasps in the family Cynipidae. Life cycle As in all Hymenoptera, sex-determination in species of the genus ''Andricus'' is governed by haplodiploidy: males develop from unfertilized eggs and are haploid, an ...

'', and several other names are considered

synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

References

Cynipidae Gall-inducing insects Oak galls Insects described in 1863 Insects of Canada Hymenoptera of North America Taxa named by Homer Franklin Bassett {{Hymenoptera-stub