Biology:Acraspis quercushirta

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Short description: Species of wasp

Acraspis quercushirta
Acraspis macrocarpae adult female.jpeg
adult female, Aug 31 2020
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Cynipidae
Genus: Acraspis
Species:
A. quercushirta
Binomial name
Acraspis quercushirta
Bassett, 1864[1]
Synonyms
  • Gillette, 1893 Kinsey, 1936
  • Bassett, 1864 Acraspis macrocarpae
  • Acraspis macrescens Bassett, 1890
  • Acraspis undulata Cynips quercushirta

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]

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.

References

Wikidata ☰ {{{from}}} entry