| California Gall Wasp, Andricus quercuscalifornicus |
| Family | Gall Wasps (Cynipidae) | Size | 3-6mm |
| Season | Fall to early winter | Food | Nothing |
| Habitat | Parks and deciduous woodlands where oaks are found | ||
California Gall Wasps themselves are rarely seen but evidence of them is a common sight to any Bay Area hiker. Hanging from oak trees and scattered across hiking trails, you'll find oddly shaped feather-light "oak apples." These galls are produced by these tiny wasps. The adult female wasps lay eggs in the stems of oak trees. These eggs secrete chemicals which irritate the tissue of the oak tree and produce the swelling known as galls. The galls which reach about 4" in diameter start out a greenish white "ripen" to reddish white or brown in the late fall. The wasp larvae are protected inside the gall and it provides necessary nourishment. Eventually, they chew tunnels to exit the gall as adults. Adult gall wasps do not feed. [1-edited, some add'l information] |
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[1] Evans, Arthur V. National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America. New York: Sterling, 2008.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/130468