Neuroterus consimilis

Cynips noxiosa

Neuroterus noxiosa

Neuroterus noxiosus

Neuroterus batatus variety noxiosus

Neuroterus noxiosus form noxiosus

Cynipidae

Neuroterus

Quercus bicolor

Alabama

Connecticut

Delaware

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kentucky

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Vermont

Virginia

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Nova Scotia

Ontario

Quebec

Cynipid galls of the eastern United States

The North American Species of Neuroterus and their Galls

Life histories of American Cynipidae

Neuroterus quercusbatatus (agamic) (q-bicolor)

Cynips noxiosa, n. sp.

Galls: Large, woody, polythalamous, terminal or subterminal swellings on the twigs of Q. bicolor, varying greatly in size and form, but usually tuber-like and three or four times as long as thick. They larger specimens in my collection are nearly an inch in diameter and four inches long, and contain a large number of insects. The smallest are almost imperceptible swellings, and have often but a single insect. These galls develop in the summer, and the insects, which are all females, live in the galls over winter, coming out before the leaves appear in the spring. They resemble, both gall and gall-fly, C batata B, and I for a long time, considered them a variety of that species. 

New Cynipidae (1881)

Neuroterus noxiosus (Bassett)

Cynips noxiosa
Neuroterus noxiosus
Neuroterus noxiosa

Gall. Winter form. (Plate IX, Figs 1-7 [Beutenmuller's Figure 7 seems to clearly depict the sexual generation, so it is included in that page rather than this one]). On the terminal twigs of swamp white oak (Quercus platanoides [bicolor]). Polythalamous. Hard and woody swellings varying greatly in shape and size, but usually tuber-like. Internally there are numerous larval cells. Length, 5 to 100 mm. Width, 4 to 25 mm.

Habitat. New England and Middle States westward to Iowa

This species is double brooded, the first brood appearing in May from the large woody galls of the previous year's growth, and the second brood in June from twigs formed on the leaves and tender twigs.

Neuroterus noxiosus form noxiosus

Galls. — Irregular, elongate, woody swellings (Figs. 17 to 19) of young stems and sometimes petioles. Polythalamous. About 60X10 mm., roughly cylindrical, but often very irregularly twisted, etc. Inseparable from the plant. Bark-colored, usually with a glaucous bloom. Internally the gall is closely packed with larval cells which are distinct but not separable from the surrounding woody tissue. On the newer growth of Quercus bicolor , Q. Prinus , and possibly other oaks. 

Range: MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, New Brunswick, IL, IO, MI

This gall is the better-known form of the species, due apparently to its longer persistence on the tree. The gall very closely resembles that of Neuroterus batatus batatus, from specimens of which it is often difficult to distinguish this species. The more highly distinct larval cells of noxiosus is often a good basis for making the distinction. The most certain test, however, is the species of the host plant, noxiosus being confined as far as known to Quercus bicolor and Q. Prinus , while batatus occurs on Q. alba. It would prove interesting to try to induce one of these species to oviposit on the “wrong” species of oak, and to observe if galls and what galls were produced. The larvae of noxiosus overwinter in the galls, emerging the following spring from March 24 through April to early May. 

Neuroterus batatus variety noxiosus 
agamic form noxiosus (Bassett) 

Cynips noxiosa
Neuroterus noxiosus
Neuroterus noxiosa
Neuroterus consimilis [see ID Notes]
Neuroterus noxiosus form noxiosus

Gall.--As described for the species; large, woody, on stems of Quercus bicolor. This agamic gall begins to develop in mid-summer, the insects staying in the galls nine or ten months, emerging from March 24 to early May. Noxiosus has always heretofore been considered a distinct species, no one having pointed out the very close resemblance to batatus. If this is remembered it will help one to understand the distinctness of my other varieties. Noxiosus differs from batatus mainly in slight color characters, the slightly different shape of the abdomen, and the size of the areolet being the total of other differences. To be consistent, some workers should treat noxiosus as a complete synonym of batatus, which no one will do in the face of the patent loss of good host and life history data. 

Range.--MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, New Brunswick

The Gall Wasp Genus Neuroterus

Neuroterus noxiosus (Bassett)

The woody stem galls of the agamic generation are very conspicuous in winter on certain trees of Quercus bicolor at Evanston IL, the adults emerging April 10-14, April 1, and May 10. They were seen to oviposit in buds, thrusting the ovipositor perpendicularly through the bud scales just as the buds were beginning to swell. On July 22, the young stem galls of the winter form were half grown but still green and succulent with no larvae visible. 

Field notes on gall-inhabiting cynipid wasps with descriptions of new species

Agamic gen. of Neuroterus noxiosus (Bass.)

Stem galls.
NOXIOUS OAK GALL. Irregular woody enlargement at or near the ends of twigs on trees of Q. bicolor, up to 40 mm long by 25 mm in diameter, covered with normal bark, polythalamous, conspicuous on the trees in winter. The adults emerge in early April and oviposit in the buds just as they are beginning to swell.

Cynipid Galls of the Chicago Area

Neuroterus noxiosus Bass
Agamic form, noxiosus Bass

Gall, irregular, elongate woody swellings of young stems and sometimes petioles

Adults, late March to early May

On Q prinus [montana], bicolor

Plant Galls and Gall Makers

Neuroterus noxiosus (Bass.) 

Quercus bicolor, prinus
Stem galls, woody stem swellings
Agamic. Woody, covered with normal brown bark, persisting over winter.

[Photo caption]
Fig 121. Agamic. On Q. bicolor. The woody galls persist over winter. Adults emerged in April (IL) and were observed ovipositing in buds just as the bud scales elongate enough to show a little green at the base. Photo also shows the smooth fleshy galls of the alternating generation on the leaves. 

On Quercus bicolor, the agamic and sexual generations of N quercusbatatus are distinct and easily recognizable: agamic galls are found on woody stems and twigs, while sexgen galls are found on leaf petioles and midribs. 

[According to Kinsey's 1923 treatment](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/226481#page/341/mode/1up) of his species Neuroterus batatus, Bassett's female wasp Neuroterus consimilis is a junior synonym of the agamic generation [Neuroterus batatus var noxiosus](https://www.gallformers.org/gall/1340). In [his prefatory text](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/226481#page/264/mode/1up), Kinsey insists that his synonymy of this species was synonymized after careful matching of the locality, host, and emergence dates of the two species, as well as adult anatomy. However, the type host of consimilis, and the host listed for it in every other source, is Q alba, while the variety he synonymizes it to is only listed on Q bicolor. Based on Beutenmuller's figure, the galls seem to match quercusbatatus well enough that they would be difficult to distinguish if they were not synonyms. However, the synonymy [is not listed by Melika and Abrahamson.](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16213231#page/582/mode/1up) Krombein lists Neuroterus consimilis as a valid distinct species in the [1979 Catalog of Hymenoptera.](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/4144887#page/1092/mode/1up)

Gallformers ID Notes