Irregular Spindle Gall Wasp
Andricus chrysolepidicola
This record describes Andricus chrysolepidicola (species). Recorded family: Cynipidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
- Superfamily
- Cynipoidea
- Family
- Cynipidae (Gall Wasps)
- Tribe
- Cynipini
- Genus
- Andricus
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae recorded from blue oak ( Q. douglasi ), valley oak ( Q. lobata ), scrub oak ( Q. berberidifolia ), and leather oak ( Q. durata ) .
Life History
Two alternating generations per year: a parthenogenetic (unisexual female) generation forms the polythalamous, spindle-shaped integral stem galls which take most the year to develop and emerge as adult females after fresh new leaf & flower growth commences in spring. Those adults then oviposit eggs in buds of leaves and staminate (male) flowers for a much shorter-lived bisexual generation that forms less conspicuous galls in the leaf axils and flower buds. . See Burdick for interesting details.
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Andricus chrysolepidicola. 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 Irregular Spindle Gall Wasp (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Joyce Gross; Additional contributions by Aaron Schusteff