Cerroneuroterus gyulaigaraiae (Melika, 2006)

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 : 471

Cerroneuroterus gyulaigaraiae (Melika, 2006)

Host plants. Israel: Q. ithaburensis . Elsewhere ( Syria and Iran): Q. ithaburensis , Q. brantii .

Life history. Known only from the leaf galls of the asexual generation, which are circular, flat, rigid structures, up to 2 mm thick and 6 mm in diameter, white at center, orange along undulating rims, and covered by sparse white hairs ( Fig. 62 ). They are usually found in clusters and then their rims can be slightly irregular as they are squeezed together.

Phenology. Galls appear in August, drop to the ground in late October to November, and the pupae or adults overwinter in them on the ground. Adults emerge in January. Parasitism rates in Israel can exceed 80%.

Distribution. Israel: Mezar, Bet Keshet Forest, Hosha'aya, Alonim, Tiv’on, HaSharon Forest. Elsewhere: Syria, Iran.

Comments. The galls of this species are superficially similar to those of Cerroneuroterus lanuginosus on the same host plant ( Figs 60–61 ) but differ from them in being orange with a white center rather than white with a black center, and in being less hairy. Sternlicht (1968b) referred to this species as Neuroterus sp. (his Fig. 44 ).

Figures

FIGURES 59–64. Galls on Quercus ithaburensis. 59. Chilaspis israeli, asexual generation; 60–61. Cerroneuroterus lanuginosus, asexual generation; 62. Cerroneuroterus gyulaigaraiae, asexual generation; 63. Andricus sp. nr. istvani, sexual generation; 64. Dryocosmus mikoi, sexual generation.

FIGURES 41–46. Galls on Quercus ithaburensis. 41. Synophrus politus, sexual generation; 42. Synophrus olivieri sexual generation; 43. Andricus miriami, asexual generation; 44. Same, old gall; 45. Chilaspis israeli, sexual generation; 46. Dryocosmus mayri, sexual generation.