Jumping Oak Gall Wasp – Neurotus saltatorius

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Jumping Oak Gall Wasp (Neurotus saltatorius)

Latin Name: Neurotus saltatorius

Common Name: Jumping Oak Gall Wasp

Appearance:

  • Jumping oak galls grow on the undersides of white oak leaves and look like seeds.
  • Neuroterus, a tiny gall wasp, causes them at or around saltatorius (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae).
  • Galls cause the leaf’s top surface to brighten in color and create a blister typically surrounded by yellow spots.
  • The leaf tips will become dark if the infection is severe. Leaves that have been severely injured may curl and fall from the tree, affecting the entire crown.

Hosts plants: 

Quercus garryana Douglas ex Hook (Oregon or Garry oak) is only one of its host plants.

Territory:

It’s native to North America and the western United States, where it may be found on various oak species from Texas to Washington.

Damages caused by Jumping Oak Gall Wasp:

Brown leaves on oak trees in late spring are the first indicator of a leaping oak gall infection. The leaves may become black, curl, and fall to the ground if the illness is severe. The entire crown of a big group of trees might be affected if the insect population is high enough. A close examination of the damaged leaves displays 1/16-1/8″ diameter brown dots on the top surface with yellow spots.

Description about Leaf chewers:

Insect chewing damage to plants can take numerous forms. Foliage or flowers may vanish when certain insects eat them. Occasionally, the plant will appear ragged and, upon closer inspection, will reveal bitten edges or cores. Plants can be cut at the root and topple over, or twigs can be girdled and die as a result. Mining or boring is the process of causing harm to a plant through chewing. Only the upper or lower surfaces are sometimes destroyed, producing a brown, burned look or skeletonization (openings between the veins).

Life History and Habits: 

The female wasp deposits her eggs in growing leaf buds in early spring. The egg develops into a larva that lives in the gall tissue and feeds on it. In early June, the gall falls off the leaf and settles in leaf litter or the soil. The larva develops into a pupa and spends the winter in the gall. The female wasp chews its way out of the gall in early spring, completing the life cycle. Although there may be up to two generations every year, any big epidemic appears to be restricted to only one of them.