Amphibolips spinosa Ashmead, 1887, sexual generation

Synonyms: Amphibolips spinosa Ashmead (1887: 141), females and galls. Amphibolips spinosus corrected spelling by Dalla Torre & Kieffer (1910: 591)

Diagnosis. The sexual galls resemble those of A. quercuscitriformis (Ashmead, 1881), but differ from them in having much thicker and harder walls, the surface of the gall is rough, and they are appreciably narrower, and turn dirty brown when mature; in contrast the galls of A. quercuscitriformis are much more fragile at maturity, with thinner walls, the surface of the gall is smooth and glabrous, are much broader in diameter, remain lemon-yellow after adult emergence.

Gall (Fig. 43). Spindle-like bud galls, green and soft while young and growing, 20–25 mm in length, 5–7 mm in diameter. The surface is rough, not shiny, with pale spots, interior filled with dense radiating filaments that support the central larval cell. After the gall matures, it turns dirty brown, the walls are very hard and approximately 1 mm thick.

Biology. Alternate asexual and sexual generations are known. Asexual galls (Fig. 42) are ovate, about 10 mm long, in buds on Q. laurifolia and Q. myrtifolia. The sexual bud galls begin to develop in early May, mature in May-June, adults emerge in May through June. We recorded sexual galls on Q. myrtifolia, Q. laurifolia, Q. inopina and Q. incana.

Distribution. USA: Florida, Highlands, Manatee, Martin, Walton, Liberty, Brevard Counties. We found this species also in North Carolina (Patsy Pond Area and Croatan National Forest, Carperet Co.).

- James Nicholls, George Melika, Scott Digweed, Graham Stone: (2022) Pairing of sexual and asexual generations of Nearctic oak gallwasps, with new synonyms and new species names (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Cynipini)^©