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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » "Parasitica" - Parasitoid Wasps » Cynipoidea » Gall Wasps (Cynipidae) » Oak Gall Wasps (Cynipini) » Amphibolips » Spongy Oak Apple Gall Wasp (Amphibolips confluenta)

Species Amphibolips confluenta - Spongy Oak Apple Gall Wasp

Classification · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited
Amphibolips confluenta Amphibolips confluenta Amphibolips confluenta Amphibolips confluenta
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon ("Parasitica" - Parasitoid Wasps)
Superfamily Cynipoidea
Family Cynipidae (Gall Wasps)
Tribe Cynipini (Oak Gall Wasps)
Genus Amphibolips
Species confluenta (Spongy Oak Apple Gall Wasp)
Size
Galls range from 12-50mm(1)
Identification
Adults are small and dark cynipid wasps with oval, compressed abdomen. Larvae are small and globe-shaped.
Range
southern Canada to VA(1)
Habitat
They occur principally on red, black, and scarlet oaks.
Food
various oaks but mostly red, black, and scarlet(1)
Life Cycle
Galls, usually initiated during spring when young leaves are forming; sometimes they take over the entire leaf. The biology is not well known, but probably it has alternate generations on different host parts.
Remarks
Galls are green at first, become tan and papery thin on the outside.
See Also
It appears that galls of Amphibolips confluenta can only be distinguished from those of A. quercusspongifica by phenology. See this page for details.
Internet References
Oak Apple Gall Wasp - Fairfax County Public Schools
Oak Pests - Forest health.
Oakd Apple Galls - Forestry Pests.
Works Cited
1.Eastern Forest Insects
Whiteford L. Baker. 1972. U.S. Department of Agriculture · Forest Service.
Contributed by Eric R. Eaton on 27 December, 2005 - 5:06pm
Additional contributions by Mike Boone, Hannah Nendick-Mason, Beatriz Moisset, ceiseman, Marci Hess
Last updated 5 September, 2023 - 9:20am

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