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Oak Inquiline Gall Wasps (Synergini)
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Synergus lignicola
Photo#580347
Copyright © 2011
tom murray
red oak gall wasp -
Synergus lignicola
Groton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
September 23, 2011
Size: 3.5mm
Images of this individual:
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Contributed by
tom murray
on 23 September, 2011 - 10:27pm
Last updated 5 January, 2024 - 9:07am
Moved
Moved from
Oak Inquiline Gall Wasps
.
…
Adam Kranz
, 4 January, 2024 - 11:33pm
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Moved
Moved from
Callirhytis
.
…
Adam Kranz
, 24 January, 2023 - 12:28pm
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Moved
Moved from
Gall Wasps
.
…
Charley Eiseman
, 1 February, 2012 - 3:45pm
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Moved
Moved from
Unidentified Galls
.
This is probably an inquiline--see the guide page
(
1
)
.
…
Charley Eiseman
, 25 January, 2012 - 10:38am
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Interesting
I didn't know that gall wasps could parasitize other gall wasps.
…
tom murray
, 25 January, 2012 - 5:56pm
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Inquilines
Cynipidae is divided into two subfamilies: Cynipinae, the gallmakers, and Synerginae, which are inquilines in the galls of cynipines. I imagine it's possible to tell the two apart from photos like this, if we could only find someone who knows something about cynipids.
…
Charley Eiseman
, 25 January, 2012 - 8:55pm
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Do you think
it's worth while to have the Cynipids divided into the subfamilies?
…
tom murray
, 25 January, 2012 - 9:12pm
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The difference
It looks like the key to separating the subfamilies is getting good shots of the abdomen. This is how they are distinguished in
Ashmead 1903
:*
Synerginae: Second segment in female very large, occupying the whole or nearly the whole surface of abdomen, very rarely showing an indistinct dividing suture; if this suture is distinct or complete it is very oblique and the segment dorsally is fully two thirds the length of the abdomen; males with the second and third segments nearly equal, but here two segments occupy most of the surface of the abdomen; venter more or less covered basally.
Cynipinae: Second segment in female much shorter, but the longest segment; the second and third together not occupying two thirds the whole surface or rarely; venter always visible.
* Ashmead, William H. 1903. Classification of the Gall-Wasps and the Parasitic Cynipoids, or the Superfamily Cynipoidea III. Psyche 10(324):140-155.
…
Charley Eiseman
, 25 January, 2012 - 9:57pm
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Good shots of the abdomen
That doesn't sound very easy to get those shots on live wasps. The wings always seem to be in the way.
…
tom murray
, 25 January, 2012 - 10:06pm
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True, but not impossible
This one of yours shows the abdomen perfectly:
I guess we need to try for clear lateral shots. If I'm interpreting the descriptions right, that one and the three below are cynipines:
and these would be synergines:
I'll try to get confirmation before I go moving images around.
…
Charley Eiseman
, 25 January, 2012 - 10:36pm
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Not yet
I think it would be if we could find someone to start sorting out which is which. I did find one person who studies cynipids, who I was going to try contacting in the next couple of weeks. I'll see what he has to say.
…
Charley Eiseman
, 25 January, 2012 - 9:22pm
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