Andricus multiplicatus Giraud, 1859

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 : 466

Andricus multiplicatus Giraud, 1859

Host plants. Israel: Q. libani . Elsewhere: Q. brantii , Q. cerris , Q. trojana .

Life history. Known only from the bud galls of the sexual generation, which are multi-chambered, often aggregated leafy rosettes, 25–40 mm in diameter, with numerous larval chambers at the bases of the rosette leaves ( Fig. 67 ). Old galls remain on the tree for a year.

Phenology. Galls begin to develop in May, at which time the rosette is bright green. Adults emerge from them in June, after which the gall turns brown and dries out.

Distribution. Israel: Mt. Hermon, 1780 m.a.s.l. Eleswhere: common from South-central Europe to Turkey.

Comments. This gall resembles that of A. cydoniae Giraud , which is unknown from Israel and develops on the same oak hosts. However, the galls of A. cydoniae are genuinely multi-chambered, with many larval chambers inside a single solid mass of tissue, rather than an aggregation of distinct galls. In Europe, A. multiplicatus is known from Q. cerris but we did not find it on this host plant in Israel. The morphology of the galls on the different host plants in Iran and Europe is similar to that of the Israeli galls on Q. libani .

Figures

FIGURES 65–70. Galls on various Quercus species. 65. Andricus sp. nr. quercusradicis, sexual generation on leaf of Quercus ithaburensis; 66. Neuroterus anthracinus, asexual generation on Quercus ithaburensis; 67. Andricus multiplicatus, sexual generation on Quercus libani; 68. Andricus melikai, sexual generation on Quercus libani; 69. Andricus sp. nr. amenti, sexual generation on Quercus libani; 70. Cerroneuroterus sp. nr. lanuginosus, asexual generation on Quercus libani.