Aulacidea acroptilonica

Aulacidea hieracii

Aulacidea acroptilonica Tyurebaev, 1972 

Gall. Spindle-like, lignified formations on the stem, 25-50 mm long and 20 mm in diameter. The gall size depends on the number of larval chambers (from 1 to 30). A single larval chamber nearly rounded, 3.0 mm in diameter, with smooth surface. Galls develop on all parts of the stem, from the ground-surface up to the flower (Kovalev & Diakontschuk 1986). 

Host plant. Acroptilon repens (L.) DC. (Asteraceae) is the only known host plant; probably can induce galls on a closely related species, A. australe Iljin. (Kovalev & Diakontschuk 1986). 

Biology. Majority of larvae overwintering in the gall, pupate in March-April; adults emerge by the end of April (Middle Asia) – beginning of May (Kazakhstan and Ukraine) (Zerova, Diakontschuk & Ermolenko 1988); part of adults in Iran emerge in early summer. 

Distribution. Iran, Azerbaijan-e Gharbi province (vicinities of Urmia) (Melika & Karimpour 2008), Lorestan (Zalian) (Karimpour et al. 2008). Ukraine (southern part only), European part of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan (Zerova, Diakontschuk & Ermolenko 1988, Kovalev & Diakontschuk 1986).

Aulacidea hieracii (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms. Aulax graminis Cameron, 1875, Aulax artemisiae Thomson, 1877, Aulax foveigera Thomson, 1877, Aulax crassinervis Thomson, 1877, Aylax sabaudi Hartig, 1840, Aulacidea cacaliae Belizin, 1959. 

Gall. In stems, multilocular, differently shaped, large, hard and fuzzy galls; the stem is malformed. The gall develops on the stem or at the base of the leaf rosette, 40 mm long, 10-15 mm in diameter, usually spindle-like, sometimes rounded. During the development, leaves are coming out from it. The surface of the gall is covered with hairs. The gall loosing its hairs after overwintering and the bases of hairs are visible only on a glabrous epidermis. The parenchyma of the gall soft, spongy, with rounded larval cells. The number of larval cells is decreasing towards the center of the gall. The gall is green when young and growing, turns brown when mature. The shoot above the gall is malformed, abnormally short. Sometimes galls develop on the leaves which are lying on the ground. 

Host plant. Hieracium murorum L., H. umbellatum L., H. verruculatum Link, H. virosum Pall., H. vulgatum L. (Asteraceae). Biology. Galls mature in autumn, larvae overwinter in the gall, adults emerge next spring, in May (Zerova et al. 1988). 

Distribution. Iran, Lorestan (Ghelaei or Gharaei) and Azerbaijan-e Gharbi provinces (vicinity of Kelïsä Kandï village, 37º29′N, 45º01′E, 1600 m a.s.l., 2.5 km SW Urmia) -- a new record for Iran. Europe (Melika 2006), Far East of Russia (Kovalev 1965), Transcaucasus (Zerova et al. 1988). 

Herb gallwasp fauna of Iran (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Aylacini)