Tamaliinae

Gall-forming aphids found exclusively on Ericaceae hosts. Apterous viviparous females and alate oviparous females present; identification to species requires examination of gall-inhabiting apterous adult stage. Distinguished from other aphid subfamilies by obligate gall association with Ericaceae and social galling behavior.

Leaf galls on woody plants in the family Ericaceae.

Nearctic region; North America, including California, Oregon, and Arizona.

Seasonal occurrence documented; specific timing varies by species.

Phloem sap from host plants in Ericaceae.

• Arbutus arizonica - gall hostHost for Tamalia cruzensis
• Arctostaphylos columbiana - gall hostHost for Tamalia milleri
• Arctostaphylos spp. - gall hostPrimary host genus for most Tamalia species
• Comarostaphylis diversifolia - gall hostHost for Tamalia moranae

Clonal reproduction; apterous viviparous females present in galls, alate oviparous females disperse. Gall-inhabiting apterous adult stage is the diagnostic life stage for species identification.

Foundresses exhibit communal behavior, co-occupying galls. High mean relatedness among colony members documented through AFLP analysis. Some species act as inquilines, acting as obligate parasites within galls of other Tamalia species and competing successfully with host aphids in reproductive output.

Gall-forming herbivore inducing leaf galls on Ericaceae hosts. Serves as host for parasitic inquiline aphids within the same subfamily.

• AphidinaeLargest aphid subfamily but lacks obligate gall-forming association with Ericaceae and social galling behavior of Tamaliinae.
• EriosomatinaeAlso contains gall-forming aphids but typically associated with different host plant families and lacks the Nearctic Ericaceae specialization of Tamaliinae.

• gall-forming
• social insects
• Ericaceae
• Nearctic
• inquiline
• clonal reproduction
• apterous
• alate
• viviparous
• oviparous

• BugGuide
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• Communal behavior and its exploitation in Tamalia social gall aphids (Aphididae: Tamaliinae)
• A new species of the nearctic gall-forming genus Tamalia Baker (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Tamaliinae)
• Three new species ofTamalia(Hemiptera, Aphididae, Tamaliinae) associated with leaf galls onArbutus,Arctostaphylos, andComarostaphylisin North America