Andricus quercustozae (Bosc, 1792)
on Quercus, agamous generation
Quercus robur, France, dép. Landes, Moliets-et-Maa, 28.viii.2020 © Pierre Duhem
The central gall chamber with the quercustozae larva is surrounded by a circle of, unidentified, inquiline larven. The picture begs the question how the oviposition of the inquiline has been executed.
Quercus sp., North Macedonia, Lake Prespa, Otesevo, 29.vii.2019 ©
Cor Zonneveld
Quercus faginea, Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Parque Nacional de Cabañeros iv.2018 @ Sébastien Carbonelle
massive occurrence
failed gall

Quercus sp., Croatia, prov. Istria, Labin © Quentin Hubert

Quercus suber, France, Gironde, route Bordeaux-Narbonne; leg Magali Guillot-Pingue © Jean-Yves Baugnée

Quercus infectoria, Greece, Lesvos © Ben van As – identification cf!
North Portugal, Praia do Camarido by the mouth of the river Minho, Caminha © Maria Fremlin: galls transported downstream; upon inspection (early May) a few live wasps
gall
the gall develops from a bud on a second-year shoot. The base of the gall encloses the branch, causing old galls to remain for a long time on the tree. Young galls are ± red, 17-40 mm. The gall has, beyond the equator, an often coalescing crown of warts. There is an inner gal.
host plants
Fagaceae, monophagous
Quercus canariensis, coccifera, faginea, frainetto, ilex, infectoria. lusitanica, petraea, pubescens, pyrenaica, robur, suber.
notes
The sexual generation is not known.
synonym
Cynips quercustozae; Andricus, Cynips, kiefferi Cabrera, 1987).
The “Cynips kiefferi” Cabrera that is depicted and described by Houard, basing himself on a work by Kieffer, 1900, is a different species. It concerns a galling of an acorn, perhaps A. dentimitratus.
inquilines
Ceroptres clavicornis; Synergus hayneanus, pallidipennis, umbraculus.
notes
Like many other galls, these can be used by ants as an opportunity to create a nest; see for instance Crematogaster scutellaris.
very young galls
.
Quercus robur, Portugal, Pinhal do Camarido, Moledo © Filipe Mesquita: shoot with some very young galls
the very earliest beginning is a flat disk with marginal projections
somewhat older gall
the galls strongly vary in their speed of development
references
Antov & Stojanova (2016a), Bellmann (2012a), Blanes-Dalmau, Caballero-López & Pujade-Villar (2017a), Buhr (1965a), Cerasa (2015a), Chireceanu, Chiriloaie, Teodoru & Sivu (2015a), Dauphin & Aniotsbehere (1997a), Gómez, Hernández Nieves, Garrido Torres, ao (2006a), Hellrigl (2009a, 2010a, 2012a), Hellrigl & Bodur (2015a), Houard (1908a), Karaca & Katılmış (2020a), Katılmış & Kıyak (2008a), Kemal & Koçak (2010a), Kwast (2012a, 2014a), Melika & Bechtold (2001a), Meika (2006a), Melika, Csóka & Pujade-Villar (2000a), Marković (2014a, 2015a), Mete & Demirsoy (2012a), Nieves-Aldrey (1983a, 1984b, 2001a), Nieves-Aldrey, Gómez, Hernández Nieves & Lobo (2006a), Pujade-Villar, Kwast, Thuroczy & Bellido (2002a), Pujade-Villar, Melika & Csóka (2000a), Schimitschek (1939a), Shachar, Melika, Inbar & Dorchin (2018a), Stojanova (2005a), Tavares (1905a), Tomasi (2012a, 2014a).