Andricus spectabilis Kinsey

Hosts: Quercus chrysolepis

GALL. — Elongate stem swelling. Polythalamous. Large, elongate, oval to spindle-shaped, averaging 25. mm. wide by 50. mm. long; large specimens scarcely greater in diameter will reach 110. mm. in length; covered with bark of natural color. Internally hard and woody, only the peripheral tissue being less compact than the normal stem wood; larval cells toward the center of the gall, oval, 3. by 5. mm., tissue almost not at all distinct from the rest of the wood; exit holes upon aging show a distinct, smoother area on the bark. On smaller stems of Quercus chrysolepis.

RANGE. — California: San Jacinto Mountains to Auburn and Ukiah. Probably wherever Quercus chrysolepis occurs.

[Kinsey goes on to describe several varieties that do not differ by host or gall morphology, only range and adult morphology; see paper for details]

Andricus spectabilis Kinsey

Quercus chrysolepis
Stem galls, woody stem swellings or cells under the bark
Fig 59. Diameter to 25 mm, in fall, poly.

59. Q. chrysolepis. "Partly grown galls may be found from early May on through the summer and it is probable that the insects do not emerge from them until the second spring." Quarter grown fresh galls were found April 18 (Upland). Adults were cut out on Feb. ; and March 5 (Mt. Diablo). Only emergence record Feb. 27 ( Sierra Madre)

Andricus spectabilis

Quercus wilcoxii [chrysolepis]
Stem galls
Stem swellings
Fig 45.

Andricus spectabilis, new species

GALLS (P1. XXIV, Figs. 11, 12).-Elongate stem swellings. Polythalamous. Large, elongate, oval to spindle-shaped, averaging 2.5 cm. wide by 5.0 cm. long; large specimens of scarcely greater diameter will reach 11.0 cm. in length; covered with bark ofnatural color. Internally hard and woody, only the peripheral tissue being less com-pact than the normal stem wood; larval cells toward the center of the gall, oval, 3.by 5. mm., tissue almost not at all distinct from rest of wood; exit holes upon aging show a distinct, smoother area on the bark. On smaller stems of Quercus chrysolepis.

Range: —California: San Jacinto Mountains, San Bernadino, Upland, Pasadena, Placerville, Auburn.

The galls of this species have been mistaken for those of Andricus suttoni (Bassett) which occurs on Quercus agrifolia; and it is likely that all the records of suttoni occurring on Quercus chrysolepis apply actually to spectabilis. Though the galls of the two cynipids closely resemble each other, the insects are not similar, exhibiting what will be interpreted as generic differences when Andricus is subdivided. In several respects,such as the median depression of the scutellum, this species shows relations to Andricus pomiformis (Bassett). Adults emerged from galls at Placerville, California on March 30; but it is likely that there is an earlier emergence date for more southern material. The gall is prominent and very abundant wherever I have seen Quercus chrysolepis.

Protobalandricus spectabilis
(Disholcaspis spectabilis)*

Hosts: Quercus chrysolepis

This cynipid wasp induces integral, abruptly swollen, polythalamous, large stem galls on canyon live oak.