Zapatella cryptica (agamic)

Zapatella herberti (agamic)

Zapatella quercusmedullae (agamic)

Zapatella quercusphellos (sexgen)

Zapatella oblata (agamic)

Andricus balanaspis (agamic)

Melikaiella corrugis (agamic)

Callirhytis glomerosa (agamic)

Callirhytis medularis (sexgen)

Zapatella grahami (sexgen)

 Zapatella cryptica
(Weld) comb. n.

Callirhytis cryptica Weld, 1922b (female, galls).

Only the asexual generation is known. It induces bud galls on Quercus myrtifolia Willd. and Quercus falcata Michx. in the USA (Florida and Alabama) (Weld 1922b, Burks 1979).

Type galls were collected in October and adults emerged the next year in May (Weld 1922). The affected terminal bud cluster becomes enlarged, one or two green leaves sometimes grow out beyond the bud scales, and later the bud turns brown; the gall is completely hidden within the bud and is conical, with a thin-walled cell and a tuft of hairs near the apex (Weld 1922b).

 Zapatella herberti (Weld) comb. n.

Eumayria herberti Weld, 1926 (females, galls). 
Bassettia herberti (Weld) (Burks 1979). 
Callirhytis herberti (Weld) (Melika and Abrahamson 2007).

Only the asexual generation is known. It induces stem swelling galls on Quercus agrifolia Née, Quercus kellogii Newb., Quercus wislizeni A. DC in California (USA) (Weld 1926, Burks 1979). Larval chambers (cells) are nested in the peripheral layer of wood, just under the bark of vigorous shoots 2cm or less in diameter. Adults emerge in late May (Weld 1926).



 Zapatella quercusmedullae

(Ashmead) comb. n.

Cynips quercusmedullae Ashmead, 1885 (females, galls). Andricus (Andricus) medullae Ashmead, 1885. Callirhytis quercusmedullae (Ashmead) (Burks 1979). Andricus cryptus Ashmead, 1887 (synonym in Dailey and Menke 1980).

Only the asexual generation is known. It induces stem swelling galls, in spring, on Quercus incana Bartram (= Quercus cinerea Raf.), Quercus marilandica (L.) Münchn. and Quercus myrtifolia in the USA (Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Missisipi, Texas) (Burks 1979). The adults emerge the following year in February and March (Ashmead 1885a, b; Weld 1959).

 Zapatella quercusphellos

(Osten Sacken) comb. n.

Cynips quercusphellos Osten Sacken, 1861. Callirhytis quercusphellos (Osten Sacken ) (Burks 1979).

Cynips quercussimilis Bassett, 1864, syn. n. Callirhytis quercussimilis (Bassett) (Burks 1979).

Callirhytis (Cynips) quercussimilis (sexual form) was known, inducing stem swelling galls on Quercus incana, Quercus falcata, Quercus ilicifolia Wangenh., Quercus imbricaria Michx., and Quercus myrtifolia along the Atlantic coast, from Florida to New York state (Burks 1979). The galls are club-shaped swellings if they form on terminal twigs, with 1–4 cells (Weld 1959). Green and fleshy galls develop in May, and later turn woody (become lignified). Adults emerge in June to the beginning of July (Bassett 1864, Weld 1959).

The author of Callirhytis quercusphellos (Osten Sacken 1861) collected greenish rounded woody swellings at the tip of the twigs of Quercus phellos (L.) in Virginia, near Potomac river in June; four sexual females emerged by the end of June Osten Sacken (1865) mentioned that his species somehow resembles Callirhytis quercussimilis (Bassett), however, differs from it. Dalla Torre and Kieffer (1910) treated them as different species. Weld (1922b) erroneously synonymised Cynips similis Bassett to Callirhytis quercusphellos (O.S.). Later, the two species were treated as different species (Weld 1926, 1928, 1951, 1959; Burks 1979). Weld (1922b) observed galls absolutely similar to those of Zapatella quercusphellos on Quercus falcata, Quercus incana, Quercus texana Buckley, Quercus laurifolia Michx. and Quercus myrtifolia.

Zapatella quercusphellos was collected also at Rosslyn, Virginia from Quercus imbricaria in June and Quercus phellos in May, adults emerged in late June. In both cases the greenish fresh galls were similar terminal enlargements on new growths, inconspicuous, only 5 mm long; after maturation galls were 8–10 mm in diameter (Weld 1926).

A detail examination of specimens of Callirhytis quercusphellos and Callirhytis quercussimilis, mentioned above, showed no appreciable morphological differences and thus, Callirhytis quercussimilis is a syn. n. of Callirhytis quercusphellos and here in the species transferred to the Zapatella genus, Zapatella quercusphellos, comb. n. 

Only the sexual generation is known. It induces stem swelling galls on Quercus incana, Quercus falcata, Quercus ilicifolia Wangenh., Quercus imbricaria, Quercus myrtifolia and Quercus phellos along the Atlantic coast, from Florida to New York state (Burks 1979).

 Zapatella oblata (Weld) comb. n.

Callirhytis oblata Weld, 1952.

Only the asexual generation is known. It induces bud galls on Quercus coccinea Muench. and Quercus falcata in Virginia, USA (Weld 1952). 

Callirhytis balanaspis Weld (only the asexual generation is known) induces acorn galls on red oaks.

Callirhytis corrugis (Bassett), which induces acorn galls on red oaks 

Callirhytis glomerosa Weld, which induces bud galls on red oaks

Callirhytis medularis Weld induces stem swelling galls on red oaks and is only known from the sexual generation.

 Zapatella grahami Pujade-Villar & Melika, sp. n.

Gall (Figs 17–18). Acorn galls. Individual chambers located in the acorn cup, often between the cup and the seed. Usually there is one gall per acorn, but sometime two or three. 

Biology. Only the sexual generation is known and it induces galls on Quercus costaricensis. Galls were collected in February and later in October in forests located above 3000 m altitude, adults emerged immediately after the galls were collected, in February and October.

Distribution. Currently known only from Costa Rica (Cerro de la Muerte).

Etymology. In recognition of the continuing contribution of our friend, prof. Graham N. Stone (Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland) to research on oak gallwasps.

A new genus of oak gallwasps, Zapatella Pujade-Villar & Melika, gen. n., with a description of two new species from the Neotropics (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae, Cynipini).