Quercus-velutina

Guides

• Zapatella

  Zapatella is a genus of gall wasps in the family Cynipidae. The genus includes at least one well-documented species, Z. davisae, which has become a significant pest of black oak (Quercus velutina) in the northeastern United States. Gall wasps in this genus induce gall formation on oak hosts. The genus was described in 2012 by Pujade-Villar & Melika.

  gall-waspoak-gallCynipidaepestinvasiveparasitoidphytophagousZ.-davisaeblack-oakQuercus-velutinaNortheastern-United-Statesoutbreakbiological-controlSycophila

• Zapatella davisae

  black oak gall wasp

  Zapatella davisae is a cynipid gall wasp (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) described in 2016 that has become a significant pest of black oak (Quercus velutina) in the northeastern United States. Larvae develop under bark in late summer, with adults emerging in early spring. The species has undergone notable population outbreaks on Long Island, NY (first documented 1990), Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, MA (2008), and more recently in coastal Rhode Island and Nantucket, MA. High parasitism rates by Sycophila species can lead to rapid population collapse, as observed on Long Island in 2016.

  gall-waspforest-pestoakinvasiveparasitoidCynipidaeoutbreakQuercus-velutinanortheastern-United-States