Neuroterus batata

Cynips quercus-batatus

Cynips quercus batatus

Neuroterus batatus

Neuroterus batatus var batatus

err det Osten Sacken; in fact a partial (gall-only) synonym of Callirhytis clavula

Cynips quercus tuber

Cynips batatus

Neuroterus quercus-batatus

Neuroterus batatus var obtusilobae

Diplolepis quercus obtusilobae

Cynips obtusilobae

Neuroterus obtusilobae

Neuroterus quercus-obtusilobae

Neuroterus batatus variety prini

Cynipidae

Neuroterus

Quercus alba

Alabama

Arkansas

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Nebraska

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oklahoma

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Vermont

Virginia

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Ontario

Quebec

Quercus chapmanii

Quercus margaretiae

Quercus montana

Quercus sinuata breviloba

Quercus stellata

The Gall Wasp Genus Neuroterus

Cynipid galls of the eastern United States

The North American Species of Neuroterus and their Galls

Life histories of American Cynipidae

Neuroterus quercusbatatus (agamic)

C. q. batatus Fitch. 

Quercus alba.

I am satisfied that there are annually two generations of C. q. batatus. The first appears early in May, from galls of the preceding year's growth,--the last late in June, from green galls. I have often found perfect insects in the galls in winter, and have reared flies from them, apparently of the same species reared from the summer galls. Inquilinae in great numbers are produced from the winter galls and few true gall flies, while the reverse is true of the summer form. As many of the summer galls remain green after the flies have left them, and as the tree's annual growth is nearly or quite complete the first of July, it seems probable the June flies oviposit in the galls from which they were produced.

Descriptions of several new species of Cynips and a new species of Diastrophus

Neuroterus batatus (Fitch).

Cynips quercus batatus
Cynips q. batatus
Cynips batatus
Neuroterus batatus

Habitat. Canada; New England and Middle States southward; Ohio; Illinois; westward to Colorado

There are two annual generations of Neuroterus batatus. The first brood appears early in May, from galls of the preceding year's growth, and the second brood in June, from green galls. The second brood oviposits in the galls from which they were produced. Mr. Bassett states that he reared thousands of Neuroterus batatus of both generations, for a series of years, and always with the same results. The early summer brood from the leaf galls was always made up of both sexes in nearly equal numbers, while the brood from the late summer galls came out in the spring, just as the leaves began to appear, and were all females.

Neuroterus obtusilobae (Karsch)

Diplolepis q. obtusilobae
Neuroterus obtusilobae

Gall. On the tip of the twigs of post oak (Quercus minor [stellata]). Polythalamous. Irregularly rounded or ovate with aborted leaves. Hard and woody with gray brown tint. Inside are many larval chambers.

Habitat: Dallas, TX

Neuroterus batatus form batatus

Galls. — Large, woody, stem swellings (Figs. 10 to 12). Polythalamous. Averaging 40X10 mm., often larger; tuber-like, irregular, but usually roughly cylindrical, elongate, involving stems and bases of petioles on terminal twigs; inseparable from the rest of the plant. Bark-colored, reddish, purplish brown, or with a glaucous bloom. Internally the galls are solid, woody, the larval cells scattered irregularly, the cell walls hardly distinct and not at all separable from the surrounding tissues. On terminal stems of Quercus alba (not known definitely from any other species of oak). 

Range: Canada. NH, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, VA, OH, IL, MI, CO

The galls of this generation, because they remain upon the tree for the longer time and often reach the larger size, are the better-known of the two forms of this species. The insects live in the galls over winter, emerging late the following April or early in May. The very great similarity of the adults of the two generations of this species (except for the agamy in the winter generation) and the essentially identical plan of the galls of the two forms, is a matter of great interest. In this species, as in Neuroterus noxiosus, we find as simple a case of alternation of generations as has yet been recognized. The differences in the galls are very evidently due to seasonal differences of the conditions in the part of the host affected. 

Neuroterus (Dolichostrophus) batatus (Fitch)

GALL.--A woody, elongate stem swelling, wholly inseparable. Polythalamous, with a great many larval cells. Of irregular surface and shape, twisted, but in large part cylindrical, tapering gradually to the stem at either end; up to 60 mm long by 20 mm wide (agamic forms); but sometimes several galls more or less fused, the surface covered with normal bark, drying brown in bisexual forms, with a whitish or purplish bloom in the agamic forms [this is backwards compared to every other source except Melika et al 1997, who clearly copied their description from Kinsey]. Internally hard and woody, the tissue not considerably modified except by the larval cells, these cells densely packed, largely toward the surface, each with a distinct but wholly inseparable lining. The agamic form on young stems, involving petioles and leaf midveins; on white oaks. 

Neuroterus batatus variety batatus 
agamic form batatus (Fitch)

Cynips Quercus-batatus
Cynips quercus tuber
Cynips batatus
Neuroterus batata
Neuroterus batatus
Neuroterus quercus-batatus

Gall.--As described for the species; large, woody, on stems of Quercus alba.

Range.--NH, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, New Brunswick. Probably restricted to a northeastern area of the US.

The gall of this generation begins development in midsummer, the insects remaining in the galls over winter and emerging in April or early in May. Thus this agamic generation takes nine or ten months to develop, while the bisexual occupies only a couple of months. This variety is probably restricted to the single oak, Q, alba, in the northeastern part of the United States. The insect of variety noxiosus is very similar, differing mainly in coloring and its restriction to Q, bicolor. 

Neuroterus batatus variety obtusilobae (Karsch)
agamic form

Diplolepis (Neuroterus) q. obtusilobae
Cynips obtusilobae
Neuroterus obtusilobae
Neuroterus quercus-obtusilobae

Gall.--As described for the species; on Quercus stellata.

Range.-- TX. Probably confined to more eastern TX and parts of adjacent states.

Neuroterus batatus variety prini
agamic form deprini, new form

Neuroterus noxiosus form noxiosus

Gall.--As described for the species for agamic forms; on Quercus prinus [montana]

Range.--RI or eastern MA. Probably confined to Q prinus [montana] in a more northeastern part of the US.

Neuroterus batatus (Fitch)

The woody winter form of the "oak potato gall" on the stems of Quercus alba has been noted [in IL, IN, FL, DC, MA]. In the Chicago area the agamic females issued April 15-24, 1910, and were observed to oviposit in buds at end of the same twig in breeding jar. In 1913 they emerged April 20-26. At DC they were emerging March 14, 1921. 

Field notes on gall-inhabiting cynipid wasps with descriptions of new species

Agamic gen. of Neuroterus batatus (Fitch)

Stem galls.
In winter a similar [to N batatus sex gen] but woody gall covered with normal brown bark, the adults emerging the latter half of April and ovipositing in the buds.

Cynipid Galls of the Chicago Area

Neuroterus batatus Fitch
Agamic form, batatus Fitch

Gall, tuber-like, irregular, polythalamous stem swellings.

Adults, April, May

On Q alba

Neuroterus batatus var. prini Kins.
Agamic form, deprini Kins

Gall as described for agamic forms on Q prinus [montana]

Adults, April

Plant Galls and Gall Makers

Neuroterus quercus-batatus (Fitch)

Quercus alba
Stem galls, woody stem swellings
Agamic. Woody, covered with normal brown bark, persisting over winter.

[Photo caption]
Fig 125. On Q. alba. The woody gall persists over winter. Adults emerge Apr 16-26 (IL); May 6 (DC). 

[Presumed synonyms]
Fig 126. Never reared. Woody stem swelling on Q chapmani. Resembles the woody form of Neuroterus quercus-batatus (Fitch).

Neuroterus quercusbatatus (Fitch) 

Cynips Quercus-batatus Fitch 1859: 810. Females and males (type examined). 
Neuroterus batata Basset: Ashmead 1885a: 296, 303. 
Neuroterus  quercusbatatus: Burks 1979: 1074. 
Cynips noxiosus Bassett 1881: 108. Females,  males, galls of both  generations (types examined). New synonymy. 

Distribution.-Ontario, Rhode  Island, Connecticut  west to Illinois, Colorado, south to  Florida. 

Biology.-Alternate bisexual  and unisexual generations  are known. Both  generations  induce  stem-swelling  galls  on Quercus alba L. (Ashmead 1885a, Burks 1979). The  gall is a  woody,  elongate stem swelling. It is polythalamous,  with an irregular  shape and a surface that is covered by normal  bark,  twisted,  but  in  large  part cylindrical, tapering  gradually  to  the  stem at  both ends and up to 60 mm long by 20 mm wide in the unisexual form. Sometimes several  galls  can  more or less fuse, drying brown in bisexual forms, or with a  whitish or purplish bloom in unisexual forms [an apparent mistake, copied from Kinsey; these should the other way around]. Internally hard and woody, the tissue is  little modified except by the larval cells which  are  densely  packed,  each  with a distinct but wholly inseparable lining. The unisexual form develops on  young stems, involving  petioles  and  leaf midveins. The unisexual form begins to develop in mid-summer, forming woody stem galls. The adults overwinter in the galls and emerge in spring after the oaks are  actively  growing. 

Descriptions of four new species of cynipid gall wasps of the genus Neuroterus Hartig (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) with redescriptions of some known species from the eastern United States

Neuroterus quercusbatatus (Fitch 1959)

Hosts: Quercus chapmanii

[Asexual generation stem swelling gall found in Florida in the fall.]

Using gall wasps on oaks to test broad ecological concepts

Neuroterus quercusbatatus winter (agamic generation) galls on Quercus alba are most likely to be confused with Callirhytis clavula. C clavula galls are always found at the very tip of the growing twig, beneath the buds, with a distinct club-shaped taper. N quercusbatatus galls occur along the stem and have a much more irregular form.

On hosts other than Quercus bicolor, because both agamic and sexual generation galls occur primarily on "stems," the two generations can be somewhat difficult to distinguish when no longer fresh. Fortunately this is not necessary for a species-level ID. Beutenmuller's illustrations are not labelled to distinguish the generations so all 8 are included in both pages. 

Gallformers ID Notes