Neuroterus quercusbaccarum Linnaeus, 1758

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 : 476

Neuroterus quercusbaccarum Linnaeus, 1758

Host plant. Israel: Q. boissieri . Elsewhere: several species from section Quercus .

Life history. The sexual generation induces the largest catkin galls on oaks in Israel. These are fleshy, spherical galls, up to 8 mm in diameter, smooth, shiny, light green with purple ‘veins’ and single-chambered ( Fig. 27 ). The asexual generation induces dome-shaped leaf galls, up to 6 mm in diameter, with a pointed central projection, single-chambered, usually in clusters ( Fig. 35, 36A ). When young, the galls are pale green, sometimes covered by very short, reddish hairs, turning pink as they mature.

Phenology. Galls of the asexual generation appear in August, drop from the leaves in November-December and adults emerge from them in March. Galls of the sexual generation appear in March and adults emerge from them in April-May.

Distribution. Israel: Known from galls of both generations throughout the distribution range of Q. boissieri . Elsewhere: Common and widespread from Northwestern Africa to Norway, Russia and Iran.

Comments. Galls of the asexual generation are similar to those of Neuroterus tricolor Hartig in Europe but the latter are spherical rather than dome-shaped and do not have a central pointed projection.

Figures

FIGURES 23–28. Galls on Quercus boissieri. 23. Andricus foecundatrix, asexual generation, young galls; 24. Andricus foecundatrix, asexual generation, mature galls showing spherical inner chamber about to be ejected; 25. Andricus tomentosus asexual generation; 26. Andricus sp. 3, sexual generation; 27. Neuroterus quercsbaccarum, sexual generation (arrow); 28. Andricus sp. 2, sexual generation (arrows point to emergence holes).

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.