Gall of a Live Oak Bud Gall Wasp
This is the gall of a Live Oak Bud Gall Wasp (Callirhytis quercusagrifoliae) growing on a stem of Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia, Fagaceae). It's actually growing from a leaf bud at the base of the visible leaf. It's small, just 1640 pixels across in another 1:1 macro shot, which comes to 6.9 mm - about 1/4 inch. (See here for how I figure.) The galls form on the leaf buds of the tree and grow to the size of a blueberry - and then they change color and fall away to the ground, see this photo. I'm confused by the timing of these galls, since I also find them in summer, see this photo from last July. They are a wonderfully pure geometric shape. (San Marcos Pass, 5 November 2020)
Gall of a Live Oak Bud Gall Wasp
This is the gall of a Live Oak Bud Gall Wasp (Callirhytis quercusagrifoliae) growing on a stem of Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia, Fagaceae). It's actually growing from a leaf bud at the base of the visible leaf. It's small, just 1640 pixels across in another 1:1 macro shot, which comes to 6.9 mm - about 1/4 inch. (See here for how I figure.) The galls form on the leaf buds of the tree and grow to the size of a blueberry - and then they change color and fall away to the ground, see this photo. I'm confused by the timing of these galls, since I also find them in summer, see this photo from last July. They are a wonderfully pure geometric shape. (San Marcos Pass, 5 November 2020)