[NatureNS] Curious growths on oak tree leaves

From: Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:28:09 -0300
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Hi Maria,

There are a variety of such "growths" found on oak trees, which are  
collectively called "oak apple galls." They are actually complex micro- 
ecosystems generated by so-called "gall-inducer wasps", cynipid wasps  
in the genera Amphibolips and Andricus. The adults inject a substance  
into the oak tree which causes it to form the gall, and the eggs of  
the wasp are laid at the site so that the larvae can feed on the plant  
tissue (and shelter inside the gall). They are joined in these galls  
by other "inquiline" cynipids and lepidoptera larvae (which live in  
the gall but do not generate it), parasitic cynipids and flies,  
various predators that feed on all of the above (and each other), and  
endophytic fungi which grow inside the gall. For more information take  
a look at:

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/oak_apple_gall_wasp.htm

We recently described a new species of rove beetle, Euvira micmac,  
from oak apple galls in Nova Scotia, and found two other species of  
beetles, the mycetophagid Litargus tetraspilotus LeConte, and the  
latridid, Melanophthalma americana (Mannerheim), in these galls. The  
paper is:

Klimaszewski, J., and Majka, C.G. 2007. Euvira micmac, a new species  
(Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae), and first record of the  
genus in Canada. The Canadian Entomologist, 139(2): 147-153.

And those interested in such phenomena can access a copy of the paper  
at:

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/PDF/Euvira_micmac.pdf

Best wishes!

Chris

On 16-Jul-09, at 6:21 PM, Phil & Maria wrote:

> I have an oak tree that is probably about 12 years old.  Every year  
> these curious "balls" form on some of the leaves...they deform the  
> leaf.  These "balls" seem to be filled with air and have small white  
> bumps on them.   As time goes on, they develop one single "bored"  
> hole.  If you crack open the ball, inside is a tiny brown ball  
> covered in pale green soft, fuzzy spikes, and a single hole "bored"  
> in it in the exact same place as the hole bored on the outer shell.   
> These "balls" don't seem to affect the tree in any way, it appears  
> healthy and is growing (slowly, but growing!).  Eventually, these  
> balls deteriorate and remind you of a tiny wasp nest...all that is  
> left on the tree is the top 1/4 of the ball.
> Below are links to two pictures I took today.  Does anyone have any  
> idea what this is?  I'm guessing it is some type of insect or worm,  
> but in all the ones I cracked open there were no signs of movement.
>
>
> http://thumb5.webshots.net/t/96/96/1/43/7/2259143070101775065TOAfkX_th.jpg
>
> http://thumb5.webshots.net/t/96/96/6/52/23/2592652230101775065HFuOGE_th.jpg
>
> Maria Forman
> Debert NS



Christopher Majka  <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> | Halifax, Nova Scotia,  
Canada

* Research Associate: Nova Scotia Museum | http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/research-asfr.htm
* Review Editor: The Coleopterists Bulletin | http://www.coleopsoc.org/
* Subject Editor: ZooKeys | http://pensoftonline.net/zookeys/index.php/journal/index
* Associate Editor: Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society | http://www.acadianes.org/journal.html
* Editor: Atlantic Canada Coleoptera | http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html

"Whenever I hear of the capture of rare beetles, I feel like an old  
war-horse at the sound of a trumpet." - Charles Darwin


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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi =
Maria,<div><br></div><div>There are a variety of such "growths" found on =
oak trees, which are collectively called "oak apple galls." They are =
actually complex micro-ecosystems generated by so-called "gall-inducer =
wasps", cynipid wasps in the genera&nbsp;<i>Amphibolips</i> =
and&nbsp;<i>Andricus</i>. The adults inject a substance into the oak =
tree which causes it to form the gall, and the eggs of the wasp are laid =
at the site so that the larvae can feed on the plant tissue (and shelter =
inside the gall). They are joined in these galls by other "inquiline" =
cynipids and lepidoptera larvae (which live in the gall but do not =
generate it), parasitic cynipids and flies, various predators that feed =
on all of the above (and each other), and endophytic fungi which grow =
inside the gall. =
For&nbsp;more&nbsp;information&nbsp;take&nbsp;a&nbsp;look&nbsp;at:</div><d=
iv><br></div><div><a =
href=3D"http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/oak_apple_gall_wasp.htm"=
>http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/oak_apple_gall_wasp.htm</a></di=
v><div><br></div><div>We recently described a new species of rove =
beetle, <i>Euvira </i><i>micmac</i>, from oak apple galls in Nova =
Scotia, and found two other species of beetles, the =
mycetophagid&nbsp;<i>Litargus tetraspilotus </i>LeConte, and the =
latridid,&nbsp;<i>Melanophthalma americana</i> (Mannerheim), in these =
galls. The paper is:</div><div><br></div><div>Klimaszewski, J., and =
Majka, C.G. 2007. <i>Euvira micmac</i>,&nbsp;a new species (Coleoptera, =
Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae), and first record of the genus in =
Canada.&nbsp;The Canadian Entomologist, 139(2): =
147-153.</div><div><br></div><div>And those interested in such phenomena =
can access a copy of the paper at:</div><div><br></div><div><a =
href=3D"http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/PDF/Euvira_micmac.pdf">h=
ttp://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/PDF/Euvira_micmac.pdf</a></div><d=
iv><br></div><div>Best =
wishes!</div><div><br></div><div>Chris</div><div><br><div><div>On =
16-Jul-09, at 6:21 PM, Phil &amp; Maria wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>I =
have an oak tree that is probably about 12 years old. &nbsp;Every year =
these curious "balls" form on some of the leaves...they deform the leaf. =
&nbsp;These "balls" seem to be filled with air and have small white =
bumps on them. &nbsp;&nbsp;As time goes on, they develop one single =
"bored" hole. &nbsp;If you crack open the ball, inside is a tiny brown =
ball covered in pale green soft, fuzzy spikes, and a single hole "bored" =
in it in the exact same place as the hole bored on the outer shell. =
&nbsp;These "balls" don't seem to affect the tree in any way, it appears =
healthy and is growing