Cherry Gall Wasp
Cynips quercusfolii
The wasp chemically hijacks the oak tree's own growth hormones to force it to build the protective 'cherry gall' nursery.
- Scientific name
- Cynips quercusfolii
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hymenoptera › Cynipidae › Cynips
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous woodlands and forests containing oak trees (Quercus species).
- Diet
- Larvae feed on the nutrient-rich inner tissues of the gall; adults have reduced mouthparts and do not feed, surviving on stored larval energy.
- Range
- Europe, North Africa, Western Asia
- Size
- Adults: 3-4 mm; Galls: up to 20 mm in diameter
- Lifespan
- 1 year (mostly spent as larvae; adults live only 1-2 weeks)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Deforestation, loss of mature oak forests, and widespread use of chemical insecticides in woodlands.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. These tiny wasps do not possess stings that can harm humans. If you find their spherical, cherry-like galls on the undersides of oak leaves, you can safely observe them up close. There is no need to avoid them, and no medical action is required if you touch one.
Cynips quercusfolii is a gall wasp species in the genus Cynips . The species is important for the production of commercial nutgall formed on Quercus lusitanica (the gall oak).
Photo: NATT-at-NKM, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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