Feron dumosae (Weld, 1957), comb. nov.

Gall (Fig. 202). Small, 2–3 mm, conical gall on leaf edge, slightly pubescent, fresh galls red-pinkish to pale brown, leaf blade twists slightly at the gall. The gall is difficult to distinguish from other similar sexual galls of F. comatum, F. crystallinum and F. kingi.

Biology. Rosenthal (1968) and Rosenthal & Koehler (1971) erroneously stated that Liodora dumosae was the sexual generation of Andricus kingi. Dailey & Menke (1980) subsequently corrected this mistake by demonstrating that Rosenthal & Koehler had mis-identified their sexual generation wasps as L. dumosae and instead had reared the then unknown sexual generation of A. kingi. Evans (1972) proposed that L. dumosae was the sexual generation of Andricus pattersonae and transferred the later to Liodora under the new name combination L. pattersonae; this error was reiterated by Dailey & Menke (1980). However, this matching with A. pattersonae is in disagreement with genetic data presented herein (see under F. pattersonae), nor did Evans perform any rigorous biological experiments to match generations. In addition, Evans appears to have mis-identifed his asexual generation galls (Fig 15 of Evans 1972) as they are too small and pale to be those of A. pattersonae and instead look like those of the new species F. rucklei described herein. Thus, until rigorous rearing experiments are conducted or genetic data are obtained, we consisder Feron dumosae to be a valid distinct species known only from its sexual generation.

Galls occur on multiple oaks from section Quercus, subsection Dumosae: Q. douglasii, Q. dumosa, Q. garryana and Q. lobata. They mature in May and adults emerge soon after.

Distribution. USA: California.

- Victor Cuesta-Porta, George Melika, James, A. Nicholls, Graham N. Stone, Juli Pujade-Villar: (2023) Re-establishment of the Nearctic oak cynipid gall wasp genus Feron Kinsey, 1937 (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini), including the description of six new species^©