 Cynips quercus racemaria

Amphibolips racemaria

Cynipidae

Amphibolips

Quercus hemisphaerica

Alabama

Arkansas

Florida

Georgia

Louisiana

Maryland

Mississippi

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

Texas

Virginia

Quercus laurifolia

Quercus myrtifolia

Quercus nigra

Delaware

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Missouri

Nebraska

New Jersey

New York

Ohio

Oklahoma

Tennessee

West Virginia

Quercus phellos

Connecticut

The species of Amphibolips and their galls

Amphibolips quercusracemaria (sexgen)

Cynips quercus racemaria n. sp.

The Grape-producing Cynips. This is a very remarkable Cynips producing galls on the under surface of the leaves of Quercus laurifolia, which very much resemble small white grapes. They make their appearance early in April, but the flies do not escape until the middle of May. 

Galls. — Spherical, crisp, sour and succulent, attached to the under surface of the leaves, in size and color resembling a small white grape and in consistency not unlike a green gooseberry, with a single reddish kernel in the centre. Diameter .35 to .40 inch 

On the CYNIPIDOUS GALLS of Florida (1881)

Amphibolips racemaria

Cynips quercus racemaria

Gall. On the under side of leaf of laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia) in April and May. Globular or spherical, crisp, sour and succulent. Green when fresh, and brown and shriveled when dry. Internall with a reddish larval cell. Diameter 8 to 10 mm. 

The gall very much resembles that of Amphibolips nubilipennis.

Habitat: FL

Amphibolips racemaria

Globose, crisp, sour and succulent, green, becoming brown, leaf gall, internally with a reddish larval cell, diameter 8 to 10 mm, on Q laurifolia in April and May.

Key to American Insect Galls

Amphibolips racemaria

Quercus laurifolia, myrtifolia, nigra, phellos
Leaf galls, detachable
Like a green grape on under side of leaf in April, 7-8 mm in dia, sour, succulent, adults (all males) emerged in may.

[Photo caption (no photo)]
Gall similar [to Amphibolips nubilipennis] but smaller, 8-15 mm in dia. On Q laurifolia, phellos, myrtifolia, nigra. Adults emerged in May (FL); June 1 (GA). All females.

Cynipid galls of the eastern United States

Amphibolips quercusracemaria (Ashmead 1881)

Hosts: Quercus myrtifolia

[Sexual generation detachable leaf galls found in Florida in the spring.]

Using gall wasps on oaks to test broad ecological concepts

Galls resembling Amphibolips racemaria and nubilipennis have been found on a variety of oaks and places (especially Texas) outside of the ranges listed by Beutenmuller. Weld extended the host list of racemaria to include Q phellos, myrtifolia, and nigra, and the range to include Georgia. However, he lists nubilipennis on "all the red oaks," and found as far south as DC. At the moment, south of North Carolina (including Texas) have been identified as racemaria and all others as nubilipennis. However, the actual bounds geographically and in host relationships are not clearly established. Some of the galls found in Texas are found on oaks like Quercus shumardii, which are not closely related to the group known to host racemaria. 

Quercus hemisphaerica added as a host based on [this observation](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/112800624) and its close relationship with Quercus laurifolia.

Gallformers ID Notes