Acorn Plum Gall Wasp
Amphibolips quercusjuglans
This record describes Amphibolips quercusjuglans (species). Recorded family: Cynipidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Forms large, globose, thick-walled, hard, mottled, brownish or reddish galls on the side of the acorn cup, easily detached and dropping to the ground in the fall, always on red oaks. . . Pink when fresh, becoming yellow and then blood-red, diameter 1/2 to 1 inch, on black, red, scarlet, Spanish and scrub oaks, August and September, shrivels, and becomes very hard. Also on pin, shingle, southern red, and water oaks. The galls labeled as Amphibolips confluenta in were misidentified and actually belong to this species.
Wikipedia reference for Amphibolips quercusjuglans: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphibolips_quercusjuglans.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
- Superfamily
- Cynipoidea
- Family
- Cynipidae (Gall Wasps)
- Tribe
- Cynipini
- Genus
- Amphibolips
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Amphibolips quercusjuglans. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Hymenoptera includes over 150,000 described species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. Earth harbors approximately 20 quadrillion (20×10^15) ants, with a combined biomass of ~12 megatons of dry carbon - exceeding the combined biomass of all wild birds and mammals (PNAS, 2022).
Ecological role of the group
About 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators. The chocolate industry, valued at over $100 billion, depends on pollinating flies and midges. Ants are the dominant soil engineers in most terrestrial ecosystems, turning more soil than earthworms in many habitats.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Pollinators contribute $235-577 billion worth of annual global food production (FAO). In the U.S., bee pollination alone benefits crops valued at $18 billion annually, and honey bees are responsible for $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Between April 2023-2024, 55.1% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. The U.S. bee population dropped from 5 million to 2.5 million.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, USDA, EPA, PNAS (2022), US Fish & Wildlife Service. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Acorn Plum Gall Wasp (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Charley Eiseman