Diplolepis occultata, new species

Host: Quercus lobata

Gall. — A seed-like, thin-walled cell produced inside the winter buds and usually completely hidden by the bud scales. It is 2.5-3 mm. long, slightly flattened, with a sort of scar at the blunt-pointed apex, light colored with surface slightly veined. Usually only one in a bud and excentrically placed, not injuring the growing point. If two are present the bud is usually visibly deformed. The exit hole 0.8 mm. in diameter is made in the side of bud through the bud scales. Wall 0.1 mm. thick.

Habitat. — Type locality Cottonwood, Shasta County, Calif. On December 7 at the writer's request A. W. Gambs collected small branches of the ''river bottom" oak bearing twig galls of Disholcaspis eldoradensis Beutenmueller but the adults had all emerged. In this box of material small gall-makers were found to be emerging on January 6 and an examination disclosed these bud galls. Others emerged January 16, 20, 21, 22 and several were cut out of the galls in dissected buds. The writer has collected old buds of this oak in summer showing this characteristic exit hole at Newhall, Ojai. Santa Margarita, Paso Robles, Los Gatos, Palo Alto, St. Helena, Lakeport, Chico and Red Bluff, Calif. Similar exit holes have been noted in old buds of Q. douglasii, dumosa., durata, and garryana but no adults were reared from these hosts.

- LH Weld: (1926) Field notes on gall-inhabiting cynipid wasps with descriptions of new species^©

Reference: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7610635#page/296/mode/1up