Disholcaspis quercusvirens (agamic)

Disholcaspis quercusvirens (sexgen)

Disholcaspis quercusvirens (Ashmead, 1881) agamic

Cynips quercusvirens
Cynips quercussuccinipes syn. nov.
Andricus (Andricus) virens 
Andricus (Andricus) succinipes 
Cynips quercusficigera
Holcaspis succinipes
Holcaspis ficigera 

Hosts: Quercus virginiana Mill., Q. geminata Small and Q. minima (Sarg.) Small.

[Melika et al synonymize Ashmead's Cynips virens and succinipes, recount the taxonomic history of these two species, and present photos of the asexual generation galls on the stem.]

The asexual galls form through the summer and mature in autumn. Adult asexual females emerge from late autumn.

Distribution USA:Florida,  Georgia,  South  Carolina,  Mississippi,   Louisiana   and   Texas   (Burks   1979).   Disholcaspis quercussuccinipes was thought to be restricted to Florida (Burks 1979).

Disholcaspis quercusvirens sexual generation

Hosts: Quercus virginiana Mill., Q. geminata Small and Q. minima (Sarg.) Small.

Gall. Single  galls  develop  in  apical  or  lateral  buds  on  young  shoots,  never  in  clusters. Unilocular. A small, inconspicuous, thin-walled gall, 2-3 mm × 1.5 mm when mature. The gall  surface  is  smooth  and  light  brown,  without ribs. A proportion of galls are partially concealed within  the  bud  scales.  The  apex  of  the  gall  is  pointed, without a small tuft of hairs. 

[Photos of the sexual generation galls are included.]

The  sexual  generation galls develop through the early spring and mature in late Mar, and the adults emerge immediately  from  early  Apr until May (Bird et al. 2013). The asexual galls form through the summer and mature in autumn. Adult asexual females emerge from late autumn.

Distribution USA:Florida,  Georgia,  South  Carolina,  Mississippi,   Louisiana   and   Texas   (Burks   1979).   Disholcaspis quercussuccinipes was thought to be restricted to Florida (Burks 1979).

Life Cycle of Disholcaspis quercusvirens (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) with a Description of the Sexual Generation