Melikaiella ostensackeni (sexgen)

Melikaiella flora (sexgen)

Melikaiella fructicola (agamic)

Melikaiella fructuosa (agamic)

Melikaiella lupana (sexgen)

Melikaiella papula (sexgen)

Melikaiella sonorae (agamic)

Melikaiella tumifica (sexgen)

Melikaiella corrugis (agamic)

Melikaiella flora (agamic)

Melikaiella amphibolensis (sexgen)

Melikaiella bicolor (sexgen)

Melikaiella reticulata (sexgen)

Melikaiella ostensackeni n. sp. 
sexgen

[Pujade-Villar define this as a new species and don't formally synonymize it with Callirhytis quercus modesta, but this is the de facto result--C q modesta is a nomen dubius with no specimens and later specimens assigned to that species are determined as M ostensackeni.]

Hosts: Quercus rubra

Gall: The galls are hard small papillose or cone-like clusters on the upper side of leaves, projecting unequally and usually so crowded as to form a confluent mass of pustule-like elevations. Inferiorly the leaf is not deformed

Range: WI

Biology: Galls develop in May-June and mature in June-July. Adults start to emerge in July.

[See paper for photos of galls corroborated with adult IDs.]

Melikaiella flora comb. n.

Callirhytis flora
Callirhytis milleri
Callirhytis essigi 

The sexual form induces midrib swelling galls on leaves of Q. agrifolia Nee and Q. wislinzeni A. de Candolle.

The sexual gall (Figs. 15g, h-i) is a polythalamous abrupt smooth and  polished  formation  on  the  midrib,  at  the  base  and  underside of the leaf (10-30 x 6-9 mm). The gall occurs in spring and adults emerge from late March to June (Weld, 1922a; Dailey et al., 1974).

Range: CA

[They also note that there are two distinct varieties, one found on Quercus wislizeni and the other on Quercus agrifolia, which further research may determine to be two distinct species.]

Melikaiella fructicola. comb. n

Callirhytis fructicola
Callirhytis fruticola

[No photo of the gall is included.]

Only the asexual generation is known. Ashmead (1897) described this species after the examination of the Riley collection. The history of labels can be consulted in Weld (1922b). This species induces galls in red oak acorns, on Q. ilicifolia Wangenh., Q. marilandica (L.) and Q. velutina Lam. (= tinctoria W. Bartram) distributed in USA (Burks, 1979). The galls are similar to M. flora asexual galls. Galls occur in autumn and adults emerged in December under laboratory conditions, the natural emergence probably would be happening in spring (Weld, 1922b). 

Range: PA, VA, SC, TN

Melikaiella fructuosa comb. n. 

Callirhytis fructuosa

[Weld's photo is reproduced but no new images are included.]

Only the asexual generation is known to induce acorn galls on red oaks (Q. rubra Linnaeus, Q. coccinea Muenchhausen and Q. texana Buckley). It is distributed in USA (Weld, 1922b; Burks, 1979). The galls are stony mass of cells inside the acorn, more or less filling the interior and encroaching upon or obliterating the cotyledons (Fig. 15f). Galls occur in autumn and adults emerge in late April and May (Weld, 1922b); galls from Q. coccinea have emerged in 1st and 3rd year after collecting (Weld, 1922b).

Range: NY, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA, AL, IL, MO, TX

Melikaiella lupana comb. n.

Callirhytis lupana

Only the sexual generation is known to induce leaf galls on red oaks (Q. emoryi Torr.). It is distributed in USA (Weld, 1944). The galls are very similar to sexual form of M. flora. They are in a form of an abrupt fusiform polythalamous enlargement on the underside of the midrib, stunting the development of the leaf (Fig. 15d). Galls were collected on June and adults emerged in the same month (Weld, 1944).

Range: AZ

Comments. The gall and adults morphology of M. lupana are closely related to sexual form of M. flora. As we have commented above, M. flora is a species complex or a highly variable species and thus, M. lupana could be well synonymic to M. flora. Further rearing and studies must be done in order to solve this problem. Herein we treat M. lupana as a distinct, valid species.

Melikaiella papula. comb. n. 
sexgen

Cynips papula
[Weld's synonymy of Cynips papula and Callirhytis quercusmodesta is reversed and quercusmodesta is considered nomen dubius.]

Hosts: Quercus velutina, rubra

Gall. The  galls  are  hard  small  papillose clusters or cone-like on the upper side of the oak leaves, projecting unequally and usually so crowded as to form a confluent mass of pustule-like elevations. On the under side of the leaf they appear simply as a scar, projecting a little if at all. Galls were collected on June and adults emerged in the same month or July (Weld, 1922).

Range: CT, MA

Melikaiella sonorae comb. n.

Callirhytis sonorae

Only the asexual generation is known to induce acorn galls on red oaks (Q. emoryi), distributed in Mexico and USA (Weld, 1944). The galls are flattened masses of cells (3-10) inside the surface of the acorn, beside the much-reduced cotyledons. Galls occur in autumn and adults emerge in April to June (Weld, 1944)

Range: Mexico (Sonora), AZ, TX

Melikaiella tumifica (Osten Sacken) comb. n.

Cynips tumifica
Andricus tumificus
Callirhytis tumifica

Only the sexual generation is known to induce swelling-like galls on the midrib of the leaves on red oaks (Q. rubra and Q. velutina), distributed in several states of USA. Most of the galls are near the basis of the leaf, but sometime also on the petiole. Larval chambers are arranged in rows. Galls occur in spring, adults emerge in May and June.

Distribution. USA (New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Illinois, and Iowa).

Melikaiella corrugis comb. n.

Cynips corrugis
Callirhytis corrugis
Callirhytis defecta
Callirhytis petrosa

Only the asexual generation is known. 

Hosts: Quercus coccinea, ilicifolia, incana [Quercus prinoides is also listed but considered dubious]

[No new description or photo of the gall is given]

Adults of C. corrugis appeared in May (Bassett, 1881), while C. petrosa - in March (Weld, 1922b). According to Weld (1922b), C. petrosa induce a mass of confluent woody  cells  inside  the  acorn  in  place  of  the  normal  cotyledons, found in fall and affecting acorns of the current season crop and causing them to be more or less stunted in size.

Distribution: GA, CT, FL, TX, VA, WA

Melikaiella flora comb. n.

Callirhytis flora
Callirhytis milleri
Callirhytis essigi

The asexual form induces acorn galls on Q. agrifolia, Q. californica Cooper [apparently a synonym of Q kelloggii], Q. kelloggii Newb. and Q. wislinzeni.

The asexual gall (Figs. 15j-k) is a compact stone-hard mass, containing 4-12 cells inside acorns more or less filling the interior of the acorn; the woody mass thus occupies the centre of the acorn instead of cotyledons. The gall occurs in late summer; larvae remain in the galls at least 1.5-2.5 years before pupation (Dailey et al., 1974; Weld, 1922b); adults emerge in late March and April (Dailey et al., 1974; Weld, 1922b)

Range: CA

[They also note that there are two distinct varieties, one found on Quercus wislizeni and the other on Quercus agrifolia, which further research may determine to be two distinct species.]

Melikaiella amphibolensis, n. sp.
sexgen

Host: Quercus mexicana

Gall (Fig. 5a). A leaf gall, on the underside as a deformation of leaf veins (usually the main vein or main and secondary veins together). Plurilocular, elongated, 10-20 x 5-12 mm, yellowish, smooth surface with abundant stellate hairs on sides. Larval chambers (2.1x1.3 mm) disposed transversally, separated by a spongious tissue. The gall becomes hard after adults have emerged. Sometimes, marks of veins can be seen on the surface of the gall. Upper surface of leaf not deformed, sometimes the surface is undulated.

Range: Mexico (DF)

Biology: The galls develop in May and mature in June. Adults start to emerge in July.

Melikaiella bicolor n. sp.
sexgen

Hosts: Quercus acherdophylla, crassipes, laurina, crassifolia, rugosa [the authors state that all hosts are members of section Lobatae (as is true of all the members of new genus Melikaiella), but Quercus rugosa is not in Lobatae. This may be a mistake?]

Gall. (Fig. 7). Plurilocular. Distal part composed of strongly swollen young branches (20-30 x 30-40 mm). More or less circular or oval in cross-section; larval chambers (3x1.7 mm) are nested perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the branch, occupying radially the entire space of the gall in cross-section. Green, easily cuttable; brown after the adults emerged and hard interiorly; the external epidermis and the tissue between larval chambers are easy to cut. Surface smooth, verrucose where the leaf petioles are inserted. 

Range: Mexigo (Hidalgo and Tlaxcala)

Biology: Galls develop in May and mature in June. Adults start to emerge in June. In August many parasitoids of Eulophidae, Eurytomidae, Eupelmidae Pteromalidae and Ormyridae (Chalcidoidea), and several Synergus (Cynipidae) inquilines were obtained. 

Melikaiella reticulata n. sp.
sexgen

Hosts: Quercus laurina

Gall. Adults were obtained from galls similar to those of [M. bicolor](https://www.gallformers.org/gall/3419) [Also known from Quercus laurina. Description: Plurilocular. Distal part composed of strongly swollen young branches (20-30 x 30-40 mm). More or less circular or oval in cross-section; larval chambers (3x1.7 mm) are nested perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the branch, occupying radially the entire space of the gall in cross-section. Green, easily cuttable; brown after the adults emerged and hard interiorly; the external epidermis and the tissue between larval chambers are easy to cut. Surface smooth, verrucose where the leaf petioles are inserted.]

Range: Mexico (Hidalgo)

Biology: Galls develop in May and mature in June. Adults start to emerge in July. Several parasitoid specimens from Pteromalidae, Eulophidae and Eurytomidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) emerged in August.

A new genus of oak gallwasp, Melikaiella Pujade-Villar Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini), from the Nearctic region