Acraspis quercushirta
Species of wasp
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Acraspis quercushirta, the jewel oak gall wasp, is a species of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae, [2][3] tribe Cynipini (oak gall wasps),[4] found in North America.[5][6]
| Acraspis quercushirta | |
|---|---|
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| adult female, Aug 31 2020 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Cynipidae |
| Genus: | Acraspis |
| Species: | A. quercushirta |
| Binomial name | |
| Acraspis quercushirta | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Hosts are white oaks, including bur oak, Gambel oak, Chapman oak, swamp chestnut oak, and chestnut oak.[1]
Ecology and Life History
Like most oak gall wasps, this species has two generations per year - one asexual (or agamic) and one sexual, with each generation producing distinct galls.[1] The wingless females of the asexual generation emerge from their galls in fall and climb up an oak tree to oviposit in bud scales thereby inducing the gall development.[1][7] These inconspicuous galls and their larval inhabitants overwinter and continue their development in spring before adults emerge in late May and early June.[1] These sexual generation adults mate and the females oviposit on veins on the underside of host leaves.[2][8] The induced gall is detachable, oval in shape, and the color can range from white to yellowish to tan or brown. The surface is fissured into facets that end in a short, hard point, reminiscent of jewelry.[9] These galls typically fall with the leaves in autumn with the asexual female adults emerging shortly thereafter.
gall, Jun 24 2022
gall, Aug 30 2021
