Andricus tomentosus ( Trotter, 1901 )

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 : 468

Andricus tomentosus ( Trotter, 1901)

Host plants. Israel: Q. boissieri . Elsewhere: several oak species from section Quercus .

Life history. Known only from the bud galls of the asexual generation, which develop on lateral or terminal buds. They are conical, 14–18 mm long, brown with a velvety cover and single-chambered, widest at base, thinner at mid-part, and widen again apically ( Fig. 25 ).

Phenology. In Israel, young galls were found in November but no adults were reared. In Europe the larvae overwinter for 1–2 years inside the galls and adults emerge in March-April.

Distribution. Israel: Rare on Mt. Hermon at 1780 m.a.s.l., Allone HaBashan, Tel Hazeqa (only on one tree but in large numbers), Mt. Meron, Pa’ar cave. Elsewhere: Locally common in Southern and Eastern Europe, Turkey and Iran.

Figures

FIGURES 23–28. Galls on Quercus boissieri. 23. Andricus foecundatrix, asexual generation, young galls; 24. Andricus foecundatrix, asexual generation, mature galls showing spherical inner chamber about to be ejected; 25. Andricus tomentosus asexual generation; 26. Andricus sp. 3, sexual generation; 27. Neuroterus quercsbaccarum, sexual generation (arrow); 28. Andricus sp. 2, sexual generation (arrows point to emergence holes).