ericanewman's Favourites

I stopped at this park on my way home to look for Mohr Oak, but I couldn't find any. What I did find was more Havard Oak. These trees were 25-30 feet tall! VERY different than the 3 foot tall shrubs at Monahans Sandhills SP. And I didn't not see the same galls in either place, which is also interesting!

Havard Oak

Monahans Sandhills State Park
Roadside (stop #1)
Collection with permit

One of the students collected this gall, so more observations with info/measurements should follow. That observation is here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/103426072

Havard Oak

Monahans Sandhills State Park
Roadside (stop #1)
Collection with permit

Fuzzy rounded galls 1-2mm in size with a darker hairless and pointy apex, located on the lower surface of the leaf next to the midrib, often in pairs across from each other. Collected by @rchelsea23 so more details will be included on her observation. (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/103454967) She sectioned 1 gall and found a mature wasp alive inside. The gall material was quite stuck to it, so we didn't mess with it too much. Cut out a second wasp that was also alive but stayed tightly curled in position. Both wasps preserved for @mileszhang to review.

This is the unidentified/undescribed woolly Post Oak gall that I have seen and collected for rearing over the last few weeks. This observation will serve as my "field notes" on this species and the "type" observation, if such a thing can be.

Observations based on a collection of about 30 leaves at this location. (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/65443224)

Host Plant: Post Oak, Quercus stellata

A narrow dome-shaped gall firmly attached to the lower leaf surface on midrib; wool easily detaches leaving the cells "naked" on the leaves; wool pale to brownish yellow, but can also be reddish although not fully so. (Not as dark rufous/russet like Andricus pattoni.) No sign of gall on the upper leaf surface, but the attachment point on the midrib leaves a scar when galls are forcibly detached. (Not sure if this is evident if they naturally come off.) Some cells have a noticeably bumpy texture. Most commonly seen in groups of 2 that cannot be distinguished as separate galls unless wool is removed. Observed individuals and groups up to 5, most frequently in a row but occasionally bunched or clumped. The shape of the cells can be irregular when several appear together in a group.

Wasps have started emerging (in N Tex) by mid-Nov. (Since this gall stays attached to to the leaf instead of detaching and falling to the ground, I do not think they exit in larval form.)

I took some measurements for a previous observation that I am copying here for reference. Measured with wool attached as would be seen on the leaf untouched.
Average width: 3.9mm (compared to 13.7mm for A. pattoni)
Min-Max width: 1.8mm - 6.0mm
Median width: 3.9mm

I am dubbing this the Woolly Gumdrop Gall and setting up a Similar Observation Set ("postoak_gumdrop") to collect like observations until an ID can be made. Update: ID resolved, SOS removed.