Andricus coriariformis Melika, Challis & Stone, 2008

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 : 461

Andricus coriariformis Melika, Challis & Stone, 2008

Host plants. Israel: Q. libani (sexual generation) and Q. boissieri (asexual generation). Iran: Q. infectoria .

Life history. Prior to the present study, only the asexual generation of this species was known and the association between it and the sexual generations is established here for the first time. Galls of the sexual generation develop in catkin galls of oaks from section Cerris, are up to 6 mm long, conical, pointy and singlechambered, usually in clusters (as in Fig. 49 ). They are light green and soft when very young, turning bright red when mature. Galls of the asexual generation develop on oaks from section Quercus , are up to 20 mm in diameter, usually composed of three splayed, thick and smooth lobes, each ending in a few elongate projections pointing in the same direction and only slightly curved ( Fig. 17 ). The gall is green when young, turning pale straw-yellow, hard and woody when mature.

Phenology. Galls of the sexual generation begin to develop in March-April and adults emerge from them in May. Galls of the asexual generation begin to develop in August and adults emerge from them in January-February, after which the galls may remain on the tree for several years

Distribution. Israel: Mt. Hermon 1500 and 1780 m.a.s.l. Elsewhere: galls of the asexual generation are known from Iran and Turkey ( Tavakoli et al. 2008; Mutun & Dinç 2015).

Comments. Galls of the asexual generation of this species may be confused with those of A. coriarius ( Figs 15–16 ), but A. coriarius galls have more numerous spine-like projections that vary in length unlike the three thick lobes of A. coriaformis galls. Galls of the sexual generation are very similar to those of A. grossulariae on Q. ithaburensis ( Figs 49–50 ) but are found on Q. libani . Molecular data suggest that adults reared from these galls are genetically identical to those of A. coriariformis (Shachar, unpublished data) and thus represent the sexual generation of A. coriariformis , hence the species is now known from galls and adults of both generations.

Figures

FIGURES 47–52. Sexual generation galls on Quercus ithaburensis. 47. Andricus cecconii; 48. Same, old gall; 49. Andricus grossulariae, young galls; 50. Andricus grossulariae, old galls (arrow); 51. Andricus vindobonensis; 52. Andricus coriarius.

FIGURES 17–22. Galls on Quercus boissieri. 17. Andricus coriariformis, asexual generation; 18. Andricus moreae, asexual generation; 19. Andricus sp. 1, asexual generation; 20. Andricus sternlichti, asexual generation; 21. Andricus megatruncicolus, asexual generation; 22. Biorhiza pallida, sexual generation.

FIGURES 11–16. Asexual generation galls on Quercus boissieri. 11. Andricus curtisii; 12. Andricus chodjaii; 13. Andricus quercustozae, young gall; 14. Andricus quercustozae, mature gall; 15. Andricus coriarius, mature gall; 16. Andricus coriarius, old gall.