Thick-walled polythalamous galls in the buds of white group oaks. Found on both terminal and lateral buds and both flower and leaf buds. Male wasps emerge very early in the spring, shortly after the beginning of budbreak, leaving distinct egress holes in buds. Typically buds with such holes fail to continue developing, but some buds may develop as normal. When dissected, buds with egress holes more often than not contain maturing pupae or adults, presumed to be those of the females of the same species, which emerge within the following weeks. Females presumed to belong to this species have been observed ovipositing in the lower midrib of young leaves. Hosts include Quercus macrocarpa, muehlenbergii, stellata, and sinuata. Original records on Quercus laceyi were a mistake; however, later collections discovered that a gall of this form does in fact occur on Q laceyi.
Unlike many late-winter/early spring cryptic bud galls on white-group oaks, these are sexual generation galls. Unlike many cryptic sexual generation bud galls on white-group oaks, they emerge at the beginning of spring, not the middle or end.
”- Gallformers Contributors: (2024) Gallformers ID Notes©