Belonocnema treatae

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Superfamily: Cynipoidea
Family: Cynipidae
Tribe: Cynipini
Genus: Belonocnema
Species: treatae

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Belonocnema treatae: /ˌbɛloʊnəˈniːmə ˈtriːtaɪ/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Belonocnema treatae galls by Katja Schulz. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Summary

Belonocnema treatae is a species of gall wasp that forms leaf and root galls on Quercus virginiana and occasionally on Quercus geminata. It has both asexual and sexual generations, with distinct characteristics for identification, and plays a role in studying speciation and ecology.

Physical Characteristics

The asexual generation galls are smooth, unilocular balls that appear on the ventral side of leaves, initially orange or light brown and darkening with age. The sexual generation galls are irregular-shaped, multilocular clusters appearing on small rootlets. The species can be distinguished from B. fossoria due to the spur on the anterior side of the fore tibia being shorter than the basitarsus and tibial spurs in both generations. In the sexual generation, B. treatae has weakly delimited scutellar foveae separated broadly by a ridge, and in the asexual generation, a distinctive areolet is present.

Identification Tips

Belonocnema treatae can be separated from B. fossoria by the spur on the anterior side of fore tibia being shorter than the basitarsus. It can be distinguished from B. kinseyi based on the characteristics of the galls and the structure of the antennae.

Habitat

Belonocnema treatae primarily inhabits areas where its host plant, Quercus virginiana, is found.

Distribution

The species is distributed in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina, typically following the distribution of Quercus virginiana.

Diet

The larvae of B. treatae feed on the tissues of their host plant, primarily Quercus virginiana.

Life Cycle

Belonocnema treatae exhibits both asexual and sexual generations. The asexual generation induces leaf galls, while the sexual generation induces root galls.

Reproduction

Unisexual females of the asexual generation emerge from leaf galls, while sexual-generation females induce root galls.

Ecosystem Role

As a gall wasp, B. treatae plays a role in the ecosystem by influencing plant health and contributing to the biodiversity of gall-forming insects.

Cultural Significance

The study of Belonocnema treatae and its galls contributes to the understanding of speciation and host-parasite relationships in ecology.

Collecting Methods

Collecting galls from host plants

Preservation Methods

Preserving in ethanol
Drying specimens for museum collections

Evolution

Genetic data indicates that Belonocnema treatae is sister to B. fossoria, suggesting evolutionary relationships within the genus.

Similar Taxa

Misconceptions

Some similarities in galls may lead to confusion with B. fossoria or B. kinseyi; careful morphological observation is required for accurate identification.