Two years ago, you might remember that there were thousands, probably millions, of these little balls on the ground under oak trees. After some research, I learned that they are succulent oak galls, caused by being punctured by a cynipid wasp. The leaf grows a ball of unusual cells around the irritation, where the wasp has laid an egg. Thus the egg has a nice safe home in which to develop.
Two years ago, almost all the galls had fallen to the ground. Yesterday, I found some still attached to a white oak leaf. And this picture shows the color variety better too.
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Is there symbiosis? I mean, I see what the wasp gets out of it, but what is the benefit to the oak?
ReplyDeletevanilla- nothing. Not really symbiotic, more parasitic
ReplyDeleteI used to see succulent oak gall on the leaves of the oak trees that surrounded our former home.
ReplyDeleteAnother way of living.
ReplyDeletewhat an odd but interesting reaction to the wasps puncture
ReplyDelete