Andricus curtisii (Müller, 1870)

Host plants. Israel: Q. boissieri . Elsewhere: Q. infectoria .

Life history. Known only from the bud galls of the asexual generation, which develop from lenticel (accessory) buds on the trunk and well-established branches. These are big, striking galls, 20–40 mm in diameter, composed of pyramidal units that form a spherical structure, pinkish, with a velvety cover (Fig. 11), and contain a single central chamber embedded in spongy tissue. Old galls remain on the tree for several years. Molecular data suggest that the sexual generation of this species develops in cryptic bud galls currently attributed to the Andricus burgundus complex (Stone et al. 2008).

Phenology. The galls develop through the summer and mature by late September-early October. In Israel, adults emerge from January to early February, whereas in Europe they usually emerge in spring.

Distribution. Israel: Odem Forest, En Zivan, Allone HaBashan, Tel Hazeqa, Rehan Forest. Elsewhere: a locally common eastern-mediterranean species known from Croatia, Greece, Southern Italy, Turkey, Iran, West Azarbaijan, Kurdistan and Algeria.

Comments. The galls of this species cannot be mistaken for any other gall in Israel. They resemble the galls of A. hartigi Hartig on Q. petraea, Q. pubescens and Q. robur in Europe and Asia Minor but A. hartigi galls are covered by detachable spines whereas A. curtisii galls are velvety.