Druon ignotum
Classification
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Hymenoptera
- Superfamily: Cynipoidea
- Family: Cynipidae
- Tribe: Cynipini
- Genus: Druon
- Species: ignotum
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Druon ignotum: /ˈdru.oʊn ɪgˈnoʊ.təm/
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Summary
Druon ignotum is a gall wasp that induces galls on various species of white oaks. It has a complex life cycle with distinct generations producing different types of galls, contributing to its evolutionary history and ecological roles.
Physical Characteristics
Galls are oval, thick-shelled, brown leaf vein galls at first woolly, then becoming naked; length 1/8 inch, diameter 1/16 inch.
Identification Tips
Examine the underside of leaves for woolly galls that transition to naked galls as the season progresses; presence on specific oak species may help confirm identification.
Habitat
Commonly found on oak trees such as swamp white oak, bur oak, overcup oak, and post oak in central and eastern North America.
Distribution
Widely distributed in central and eastern North America, particularly in states like Michigan, Connecticut, Illinois, and Minnesota.
Diet
Larvae feed on the host plant tissues within the galls they induce.
Life Cycle
This species has two generations per year: one asexual (agamic) generation in the spring and one sexual generation later in the year.
Reproduction
Females oviposit in oak buds for sexual generation galls and on the underside of oak leaves for asexual generation galls.
Ecosystem Role
Acts as a herbivore affecting host oak populations and may influence ecological interactions in oak-dominated habitats.
Collecting Methods
- Observe and collect galls from host oak trees during spring and fall.
Preservation Methods
- Preserve galls in ethanol or freeze-dry for study.
Evolution
Originally described as Cynips ignota by Homer Franklin Bassett in 1881; has since been reclassified into the genus Druon.
Misconceptions
Some may confuse galls with diseases; however, they are responses by the plant to the larval activity of the wasps.
Tags
- insect
- gall wasp
- cynipid
- oak trees
- North America