Synergus variabilis Mayr, 1872

Shachar, Einat, Melika, George, Inbar, Moshe & Dorchin, Netta, 2018, The oak gall wasps of Israel (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae, Cynipini) - diversity, distribution and life history, Zootaxa 4521 (4), pp. 451-498 : 480

Synergus variabilis Mayr, 1872

Host plant: Israel: Q. ithaburensis . Elsewhere: Q. cerris .

Host gall wasp: Israel: Aphelonyx persica . Elsewhere: several species in the genera Andricus , Aphelonyx , Dryocosmus and Pseudoneuroterus ( Melika 2006b) .

(Invaded) gall and biology: Known only from the sexual generation, which develops in Israel in bud galls of Aphelonyx persica ( Fig. 37 ) and causes substantial enlargement of the gall up to 30 mm in diameter. Invaded galls are light green and fleshy when young ( Fig. 39 ), turning pale brown and woody when mature ( Fig. 40 ). They appear in August and adults emerge in January-February. No adults of the original gall inducer emerged from invaded galls.

Distribution: Israel: Nahal Rakefet, Bet Keshet Forest, Hosha’aya, Alonim, Tiv’on, HaSharon Forest. Elsewhere: From Great Britain to Russia.

Figures

FIGURES 35–40. Galls on Quercus boissieri and Q. ithaburensis. 35. Neuroterus quercsbaccarum, asexual generation on Quercus boissieri; 36. Neuroterus quercsbaccarum (A) and Neuroterus numismalis (B), asexual generations on Q. boissieri; 37. Aphelonyx persica, asexual generation on Quercus ithaburensis; 38. Aphelonyx persica, asexual generation on Quercus ithaburensis, gall dissected to show inner chamber; 39. Aphelonyx persica gall ivaded by the inquiline Synergus variabilis on Quercus ithaburensis; 40. Same, old gall with emergence holes of inquilines.