Andricus cooki
Melika, Nicholls & Stone, 2021
Andricus cooki is a of described in 2021. As a member of the Andricus, it is an oak-associated gall wasp that induces characteristic on Quercus species. The genus Andricus is one of the most diverse genera of gall wasps, with each species typically producing distinct gall on specific oak . Like other Andricus species, this likely has a complex involving both sexual and , though specific details for this recently described species remain to be documented.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Andricus cooki: /ˈændrɪkəs ˈkʊki/
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Host Associations
- Quercus - As a member of Andricus, this induces on oak species, though specific oak species have not been documented
Similar Taxa
- Other Andricus speciesAndricus is a large of oak with many morphologically similar ; precise identification requires examination of , oak species, and detailed morphological analysis of specimens
- Other Cynipidae on oaksNumerous induce on oaks; Andricus cooki can be distinguished by its specific gall characteristics and as described in the original 2021 description
More Details
Taxonomic recency
This was formally described in 2021 by Melika, Nicholls, and Stone, making it one of the more recently described members of this large and taxonomically challenging . The description likely included detailed morphological characters and associations, though these specifics are not widely available in general sources.
Research context
The Andricus has been subject to extensive taxonomic revision due to its large size (hundreds of ) and the historical tendency to describe new species based on alone. Modern descriptions, including that of A. cooki, typically integrate morphological, molecular, and biological data.
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- GBIF taxonomy match
- iNaturalist taxon
- NCBI Taxonomy
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