mthew

Oak Rough Bullet Gall wasps ( Disholcaspis quercusmamma) create stem galls on some species of white oaks. In Brooklyn, I find them on Swamp White Oaks (Quercus bicolor) with some frequency. Unusually for galls, these structures are also extrafloral nectaries, producing the sweet stuff that attracts ants, bees, flies, wasps, butteries, and other insects. (This thesis…

Wait, so a fair number of the Fox-poisoned believe major American cities are smoldering ruins? Good gravy, some people need to turn off their televisions and get some air.

Galls are created when the inducer’s chemistry re-engineers the plant’s chemistry. The gall itself is abnormal plant growth, which can occur on the leaf, stem/branch, flower, fruit, etc, depending on the species of inducer involved. Inducer larvae grow up inside the gall, which provides protection (at least some protection; there are plenty of parasitic wasps…