Besbicus conspicuus

Fuzzy Gall Wasp

Cynips conspicuus

Cynips multipunctata var conspicua

Cynipidae

Cynips

Quercus berberidifolia

California

Quercus douglasii

Quercus dumosa

Quercus durata

Quercus lobata

Nevada

Cynipid Galls of the Pacific Slope

The Gall Wasp Genus Cynips

Cynips conspicuus (agamic)

Cynips multipunctata var conspicua, new variety
agamic form

Green when young, becoming light and then dark brown in color, appearing mostly smooth and naked, with only a sparse, microscopic puberulence, the microscopic ridges relatively broad; internally more or less solid with compacted, crystalline fibers; occurring singly or often in more or less compacted clusters of up to a dozen galls, on the veins on the under or upper surfaces of the leaves, on the petioles, or on the young twigs of Quercus lobata. Figures 203-204. 

RANGE. — California: Palo Alto (Wiltz coll, in Stanford Univ.). Cupertino (acc. Fullaway 1911). Diablo (F. A. Leach in Kinsey coll.). Napa (types, F. A. Leach in Kinsey coll.). Redwood City (C. T. Dodds in Kinsey coll.). Contra Costa County (galls, E. C. Van Dyke in Kinsey coll.). Klink (galls, L. H. Powell in Kinsey coll.). Probably wherever Q. lobata occurs thruout the Great Valley of California. Replaced in the Mendocino-Lake County area by variety heldae. Figure 32. 

This variety is restricted to the valley white oak, Q. lobata . The galls occur in about equal abundance on the leaves, the petioles, and the young twigs. They probably appear sometime in July. Mr. Leach has collected full-sized but succulent galls at Diablo as early as August 13 and 26 (1926), and more mature galls on September 16 (in 1924). On November 26 (in 1922 at Diablo) there were large larvae in the galls. Galls collected at the same locality as late as December 18 still contained mature adults which emerged soon after that date, tho other records indicate that emergence sometimes occurs late in November or earlier in December. Fullaway recorded two species of Synergus bred from this gall (see above) . Of all the material I have handled, perhaps 80 per cent of the galls were inhabited by parasites or inquilines, the latter not always destructive to the gall maker larvae. Fullaway first described this variety from Stanford University material which Beutenmuller had determined as multipunctata. Fullaway noted the distinctive character of the gall, its location and host, the characteristic spotting of the wings, and the size of the insect, concluding that Beutenmuller’s “specimens are obviously different from mine,” but neglecting to give this insect a new name. Felt listed the two as distinct, but under one name. McCracken and Egbert repeated Fullaway’s suggestion without giving separate de- scriptions of the two. Dr. McCracken has kindly forwarded the Stanford material for my examination, and there is no question that it represents the present variety. 

Besbicus conspicuus

Quercus lobata
Leaf galls, detachable
Fig 69. Wrinkled bullets, 6.7 mm in diameter.

Fig.69. Q lobata. Fresh galls full-grown August 20, red and succulent (Calistoga). Adults have been cut out on December 10 and February 9 (Stanford).

The following species must be transferred from Besbicus to Cynips: conspicuus Kinsey, comb.rev.

Review of the world genera of oak cynipid wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini)

Besbicus conspicuus
[Page 105]

This cynipid wasp induces round, fuzzy, detachable, monothalamous stem galls on almost all white oaks in the Pacific States. 



Plant Galls of the Western United States

These detachable galls can be found on stems and leaves of white oaks in the Pacific States. Galls are bumpy or wrinkled in texture and can be found singly or in clusters. 