Andricus cooki
(sexgen)sexgen:The sexual generation (AKA bisexual generation or sexgen) of an oak gall wasp (cynipini) species consists of both male and female wasps, which mate before the females lay eggs which will mature to form the all-female agamic generation.
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The gall's range is computed from the range of all hosts that the gall occurs on. In some cases we have evidence that the gall does not occur across the full range of the hosts and we will remove these places from the range. For undescribed species we will show the expected range based on hosts plus where the galls have been observed.
Our ID Notes may contain important tips necessary for distinguishing this gall
from similar galls and/or important information about the taxonomic status of
this gall inducer.
Created Feb 4, 2026 1:47 PM UTC
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Last updated Feb 4, 2026 1:47 PM UTC
New species of Nearctic oak gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Cynipini)
George Melika, James Nicholls, Warren Abrahamson, Eileen Buss, Graham Stone
(2021)
Andricus cooki Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov.
Diagnosis. Catkin galls of Andricus cooki most closely resemble those of two known species from Florida (C. myrtifoliae (Beutenmueller, 1917) on Q. myrtifolia and C. quercusturnerii (Ashmead, 1881) on Q. nigra) and also Andricus fitzpatricki described herein. In A. cooki the galls are covered with dense whitish pubescence, while in A. fitzpatricki and C. myrtifoliae the clusters of catkin galls are smooth and shiny, without pubescence.
Gall (Fig. 113). Dark green, sometimes purplish, clusters of densely pubescent, rounded unilocular galls on catkins. Clusters contain 10–20 individual galls and appear to cause shortening of the catkin. Similar to or the same as the undescribed gall in Figure 55 of Weld (1959).
Biology. Only a sexual generation is known, which induces galls on catkins on Q. myrtifolia and Q. laurifolia. Adults emerge in late April–May.
Distribution. USA, Florida: Lake Placid; Archbold Biological Station; Lake Manatee State Park; Spanish Ponds Wildlife Reserve, Jacksonville.
