Olliffiella cristicola

Hosts: Quercus emoryi, seldom Q hypoleucoides [observation on Q undulata listed as "questionable"]

The galls, located on the undersurface of the leaf, are 10-12 mm long, 6-8 mm wide at base, compressed laterally to 5-9 mm, and taper into a sharp point. The gall opening is an elongate slit parallel to the midrib on the upper surface of the leaf. Two to four galls may be on a single leaf; occasionally two galls are fused. Dry galls are hard and woody. The female fills the lower or pointed end of the cavity of the gall and lies with its dorsum toward the opening. The overall shape of the female is conical, conforming to the shape of the cavity with a heavily sclerotized, flat, circular dorsum and a membranous or slightly sclerotized venter. It remains questionable how the first instars escape from under the female and through the opening of the gall.

Remarks. This species is found on Quercus "wrightii," and Q. emoryi in New Mexico, Arizona and Mexico. It is the only North American Kermesidae to form a gall.

Ollifiella cristicola, n. sp.

I detected some galls produced by a coccid, on the leaves of Quercus wrightii at Pinos Altos, New Mexico, on July 8th. The galls were quite abundant and are situated on the midrib on the under side of the leaf, at or near the base; their shape is something like that of a hazel-nut, but flatter on one side, with the midrib continued to form a ridge, terminating in a more or less pointed apical crest. Frequently two galls will be combined in one, in which case there are two pointed crests. On the upper side of the leaf is observed a narrow slit, opening into the cavity of the gall. The cavity of the gall is low-conical and is filled by the dark-colored female coccid.

Olliffiella cristicola Cockerell, 1896a:299

Material studied:

• On Quercus emoryi:
  • AZ, Portal, Southwest Research Station, Jun. 24, 1976, coll. M.K., 4(31♂), VPI

Additional material studied:

• On Quercus emoryi:

  • AZ, Bisbee, Jul. 11, 1918, coll. L. H. Weld, 1(7), NMNH
  • AZ, Dragoon Pass, Jul. 6, 1940, coll. G.F.F., 1(16), NMNH
  • AZ, Pine, Oct. 1939, coll. N.W.C., 1(2), NMNH
  • AZ, near Portal, Southwest Research Station, Mar. 22, 1977, coll. R. Morse, 1(1), VPI
  • AZ, Wolf Creek, Sep. 26, 1945, coll. L. H. Weld, 1(8), NMNH

• On Quercus undulata var. pungens:

  • NM, Pinos Altos, 1896, 1(5), PANS

This leaf gall-former is found in Arizona and New Mexico on Quercus emoryi and Q. undulata var. pungens.

Olliffiella cristicola

Quercus emoryi
Leaf galls
Integral
A coccid gall. Fig 155.

Olliffiella cristicola
Thorn-gall coccid

Hosts: Quercus emoryi and possibly pungens

Range: Santa Catalina mountains, AZ

Olliffiella cristicola Cockerell

Type Material Studied:

• Lectotype: From Quercus "wrightii", New Mexico, Pinos Altos, Aug. 3, 1896. Specimen 1(1), USNM 102.
• The illustration and measurements were based on the following lot:
  • Quercus emoryi, Arizona, Cochise Co., Portal, Southwest Research Station, Jun. 21, 1968, collected by R. F. Wilkey, specimens 1(1) RFW and 1(1) USNM.

Additional Material Studied:

• Quercus emoryi:

  • Arizona, Pine, Oct. 1939, collected by Mrs. N. W. Capron, specimens 2(2), USNM.
  • Arizona, near Prescott, Jun. 28, 1935, through L. H. Weld, specimens 1(3), USNM.
  • Arizona, Dragoon Pass, Jul. 6, 1949, collected by GFF, specimen 1(1), UCO.
  • Arizona, Sycamore Flat, Nov. 21, 1918, collected by G. Hofer, specimens 1(3), USNM.
  • Arizona, Wolf Creek, Sep. 26, 1945, collected by L. H. Weld, specimens 1(2), USNM.

• Quercus sp.:

  • Arizona, east of Vail, Jun. 1918, collected by GFF, specimen 1(1), UCO.

Gall Description:
The galls, located on the undersurface of the leaf, are 10–12 mm long, 6–8 mm wide at the base, compressed laterally to 5–9 mm, and taper into a sharp point. The gall opening is an elongate slit parallel to the midrib on the upper surface of the leaf. Two to four galls may be on a single leaf; occasionally, two galls are fused. Dry galls are hard and woody. The female fills the lower or pointed end of the cavity of the gall and lies with its dorsum toward the opening. The overall shape of the female is conical, conforming to the shape of the cavity, with a heavily sclerotized, flat, circular dorsum and a membranous or slightly sclerotized venter.

It remains questionable how the first instars escape from under the female and through the opening of the gall. Nymphs that were found inside the gall, on the leaves, or near bud regions were used for this study. No information is available on the overwintering stage, on the instar starting the gall, or on the males. O. cristicola habitat in Arizona is given in Color Figure 4.

Olliffiella cristicola Cockerell, 1896

Hosts: Quercus emoryi, phillyreoides

Distr: AZ, NM