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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) » Callirhytis » Ribbed bud gall (Callirhytis quercusgemmaria)
Photo#395116
extrafloral nectaries? - Callirhytis quercusgemmaria
Copyright © 2010 jbremer

extrafloral nectaries? - Callirhytis quercusgemmaria
Appalachian Trail, Swain County, North Carolina, USA
May 7, 2010
found these ants protecting and presumably getting nectar from these weird little watermelon-like structures on the branch of a young oak. i've never seen anything like it, so i thought i'd see if anyone else has.
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Contributed by jbremer on 13 May, 2010 - 12:34am
Last updated 1 February, 2012 - 10:57am

Moved
Moved from Gall Wasps.
… Charley Eiseman, 1 February, 2012 - 10:57am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Unsolved bug-related mysteries.
I think Ken's got it. I'm pretty sure I've seen these illustrated before; I'll revisit this at some point, but they must be cynipid galls.
… Charley Eiseman, 14 August, 2010 - 10:15am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… john and jane balaban, 27 June, 2010 - 11:05pm login or register to post comments

Galls, maybe?
Certain kinds of galls evidently secrete nectar, attracting ants which then help to protect the galls and their inhabitants. Some interesting info here.

A possibility to consider, at any rate.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 13 May, 2010 - 12:22pm login or register to post comments

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