Honeydew Gall Wasps (Disholcaspis eldoradensis) form stem galls on several oak species. While the larvae feed, the galls exude a sweet sap that attracts ants and yellow jackets—providing an important late-summer honeydew source when other foods are scarce.
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Clasping Twig Gall Wasp (Disholcaspis prehensa) galls develop in spring and exude sweet sap that attracts ants, which likely help protect the galls while the larvae develop in chambers at their base.
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Red Cone Gall Wasps (Feron kingi) form galls on blue, valley, and Oregon oaks that drop to the ground in early fall. In February, parthenogenetic females emerge through the tips of the galls.
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California Gall Wasp (Andricus quercuscalifornicus) is one of the largest cynipid wasps (5mm!) and induces the largest insect galls in the western U.S. Some females emerge between August and November, while others may remain in the gall for over a year before emerging.
Gall wasps (family Cynipidae) lay their eggs in plant tissue, triggering the plant to grow a gall—an abnormal structure that feeds and protects the developing larvae inside.
Gina