Orius Wolff, 1811

Ward, Anna K. G., Busbee, Robert W., Chen, Rachel A., Davis, Charles K., Driscoe, Amanda L., Egan, Scott P., Goldberg, Bailey A. R., Hood, Glen Ray, Jones, Dylan G., Kranz, Adam J., Meadely-Dunphy, Shannon A., Milks, Alyson K., Ott, James R., Prior, Kirsten M., Sheikh, Sofia I., Shzu, Shih-An, Weinersmith, Kelly L., Zhang, Linyi, Zhang, Y. Miles & Forbes, Andrew A., 2022, Borneosa aspera, Zoological Studies 61 (57), pp. 1-30 : 23-24

Orius Wolff, 1811 ( Hemiptera : Cimicoidea:

Anthocoridae )

We found four-minute pirate bugs (genus Orius Wolff ) - one adult and three nymphs - across three gall types. Orius can be both predaceous and herbivorous. We suspect this was another non-specific gall association.

Psyllidae ( Hemiptera : Psylloidea)

We found 251 psyllids associated with two galls: 250 from Callirhytis quercuspunctata (Bassett) and one from Andricus incertus Bassett. All 250 collected from C. quercuspunctata were collected from the same city (St. Louis, MO), and 249 of these were from the same collection. Psyllids can be gall formers themselves, but here are likely sap feeders and their collection alongside galls may have been due to generalist feeding or entirely coincidental.

Rhyparochromidae ( Hemiptera : Lygaeoidea)

We found one rhyparochromid (dirt-colored seed bugs) in a collection of Disholcaspis mellifica Weld gall from California. These are seed-feeders, and this collection was likely coincidental.

Lepidoptera

We reared 355 moths (mean = 19.7; range 1–140) from 18 different gall types. We did not key all moths to family and some of the larger galls collected by the KP/DJ team ( Table S1; lettered lab codes) were observed to have moths emerge but these insects were not tallied. Moths reared from other galls have often been confirmed as ( Joseph et al. 2011) or assumed to be ( Forbes et al. 2016) inquilines feeding on gall tissue. Seventeen of the 18 gall hosts of Lepidoptera in our collections were large or medium galls, and most with thick outer walls which would provide ample food for a larger inquiline species.

Moths in the families Gelechiidae , Pyralidae , Sesiidae , and Tortricidae have been previously reared from Nearctic galls ( Eliason and Potter 2000; Joseph et al. 2011; Forbes et al. 2016). Most moths in our collections were small moths (10–20 mm wingspan), but we also reared the clearwing moths Synanthedon scitula Harris and Synanthedon decepiens Edwards from some Callirhytis galls. These larger (up to 30 mm) moths mimic vespid wasps and bees and their larvae feed on wood of living trees.

Lacewings ( Neuroptera : Chrysopoidea: Chrysopidae )

Eleven lacewings (mean = 1.4, range 1–3) were found in association with eight gall types. Of these, ten were nymphs and one was an adult. The adult was associated with a collection of Disholcaspis quercusmamma bullet galls and may have emerged from a pupsae inside a hollowed-out gall, or may have just been sheltering inside a gall as an adult. Lacewing larvae and adults are generalist predators and may have been coincidental collections. However, on live oaks (section Virentes ), lacewings have been observed to lay eggs on the asexual fuzzy leaf gall induced by Andricus quercuslanigera (SPE, pers. obs). It is not known whether this is coincident to the presence of the gall or if proximity to the gall increases lacewing survivorship in some way.

Psocomorpha (Psocodea)

We reared 318 barklice (mean: 18.7, range 1–156) from 17 gall types. Barklice in gall systems have previously been regarded as late-stage inquilines or successional associates ( Joseph et al. 2011) and have been observed to enter empty galls through the exit holes of other gall inhabitants ( Weinersmith et al. 2020).

Thysanoptera

We found 62 thrips (mean = 2.2, range 1–10) in association with 28 gall types. We did not key these specimens beyond the level of order. Though some thrips can be gall inducers or kleptoparasites of other thrips-induced galls ( Crespi and Abbot 1999), our thrips collections may have been occupying old hollow galls (e.g., Redfern and Askew 1998). They also may not have been specifically associating with galls but rather collected accidentally while feeding externally on oak tissue.

Acari (Arachnida)

We found 135 mites (mean = 7.1, range 1–50) in association with 19 gall types. Eliason and Potter (2000) documented mites in families Oribatidae , Phytoseiidae , and Acaridae on the surface of C. quercuscornigera galls or sheltering in crevices. Histiogaster robustus Woodring ( Acaridae ) was also found to be apparently phoretic on C. quercuscornigera and its Synergus inquilines ( Eliason and Potter 2000). In our collections, we also found mites were attached to other gall associates, especially ants and beetles.

Araneae (Arachnida)

We found 41 spiders (mean = 5.9, range 1–18) in association with collections of seven different gall types. All galls were 5 mm or larger. Spiders were likely collected as transients on external gall material, though conceivably may have been inside empty gall cavities of woody stem galls such as An. quercuscalifornicus , D. quercusglobulus , and D. quercusmammma . Eliason and Potter (2000) previously recorded spiders in the families Araneidae , Linyphiidae , Philodromidae , Salticidae , and Theridiidae on galls of C. quercuscornigera , and also observed spiders eating gall wasps that had emerged from galls.

Pseudoscorpiones ( Arachnida)

A single pseudoscorpion was found in association with a Callirhytis quercusbatatoides gall collected in Florida. Redfern and Askew (1998) mention pseudoscorpions as successional species in galls.

Chilopoda

We found one centipede in a gall of Amphibolips quercusinanis . Like the Forficula earwigs associated with the same galls, this animal was likely using the gall as a transient shelter.