Amphibolips fuliginosa

Cynipidae

Amphibolips

Quercus falcata

Alabama

Arkansas

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Mississippi

Missouri

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oklahoma

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

West Virginia

Quercus laurifolia

Quercus myrtifolia

Quercus phellos

Connecticut

The species of Amphibolips and their galls

Amphibolips quercusfuliginosa (agamic)

Cynips quercus fuliginosa n. sp.

Galls on the willow oak--Quercus laurifoliae

Gall.--Brown, mottled, globular galls, .35 inch in diameter, hard, of a fine corky texture with a central kernel.

A Bibliographical and Synonymical Catalogue of the North American CYNIPIDAE, with descriptions of new species.

Amphibolips fuliginosa

Cynips quercus fuliginosa

Gall. On the twigs or possibly on the acorns of willow oak (Quercus laurifolia) in August. Rounded or spherical, smooth, and of a corky texture, with a central larval cell. Reddish brown and rather hard when dry. Diameter 8 to 12 mm.

The gall has the appearance of a miniature gall of Amphibolips prunus [quercusjuglans] and is similar in structure. WH Ashmead states that the galls drop from large trees in August and that he was unable to find out whether they grow on the twigs or leaves. I am of the opinion that it is an acorn gall owing to the resemblance of the adult and structure of the gall to that of A prunus.

Habitat: GA, FL

Amphibolips fuliginosa

A small red gall measuring from 8 to 12 mm. in diameter. It is rounded or spherical, smooth, and of a corky texture, with a central larval cell. Dr. W. H. Ashmead states that the galls drop from large trees of willow oaks (Q. laurifolia) in August and that he was unable to find out whether they grow on the twigs or leaves. I am of the opinion that it is an acorn gall, growing on the cup, owing to the resemblance of the adult and structure of the gall to that of A. prunus. 

Habitat: Florida. 

The North American acorn galls with descriptions of new species

Amphibolips fuliginosa

Globose, smooth, corky, reddish brown twig or acorn gall, with a large central cell, diameter 8 to 12 mm, on Q laurifolia.

Globose, small, red, smooth, corky, probably acorn galls, diameter 8 to 12 mm, on Q laurifolia.

[Felt reproduces Beutenmuller's figures]

Key to American Insect Galls

Amphibolips fuliginosa

The galls of this species were described as dropping from trees of Q laurifolia in August. The type flies were found dead in a box of galls put away four years earlier, so date of emergence was not known. The type locality is Jacksonville, Florida. The writer has collected galls on Q. phellos as well as on Q. laurifolia and at the following places: Jacksonville, Live Oak, Lake City, River Junction, Tallahassee, Carrabelle, Gainesville, Ocala, Clearwater, and Daytona, in Florida ; Savannah, Georgia ; Poplar Bluff, Missouri ; and Rosslyn, Virginia. A pupa was found inside a gall on October 22 and an adult December 1. An adult emerged in breeding cage May 1. Transformation takes place in fall and the flies remain in the galls during the winter to emerge the next spring. 

Notes on American Gallflies of the Family Cynipidae Producing Galls on Acorns: With Descriptions of New Species

Amphibolips fuliginosa

Quercus laurifolia, myrtifolia, phellos
Acorn galls
A plum gall on side of acorn cup, 7-10 mm in dia, dropping when mature (before October).

[Photo caption (no photo)]
Q phellos, laurifolia, myrtifolia. A plum gall, 7-10 mm in dia, dropping in Aug. Only rearing record May 1.

Cynipid galls of the eastern United States

Amphibolips quercusfuliginosa (Ashmead 1885)

Hosts: Quercus myrtifolia

[Asexual generation acorn cup gall found in Florida in the fall.]


Using gall wasps on oaks to test broad ecological concepts

Given the scant available descriptions and images, it's hard to be certain how to distinguish A quercusfuliginosa galls from small or otherwise atypical galls of A quercusjuglans. However, a set of galls previously identified as A quercusjuglans but differing in their smaller size, lighter color and smaller spots, and blunt, clasping end rather than a pointed attachment, has been tentatively identified as A quercusfuliginosa, and the gall photo has been drawn from these. 

See observations [collected here.](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=true&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&verifiable=true&preferred_place_id=1&locale=en-US&ident_taxon_id=1239630)

Q. falcata added as host based on numerous observations on iNat from this host.

Gallformers ID Notes