Druon gregori Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov.

Hosts: Quercus arizonica, oblongifolia

[Photos of the galls appear on page 26]

Gall (Fig. 56). White fluffy gall on the midrib on the underside of leaves, cluster of a few cells.

Biology. Only the asexual generation is known, which induces woolly leaf galls on Q. arizonica, Q. oblongifolia and Q. rugosa (all Section Quercus, Series Leucomexicanae). Galls mature in October; adults emerged shortly
afterwards under laboratory conditions.

Distribution. USA: Arizona, Santa Catalina Mtns. and Chiricahua Mtns.

Druon gregori Melika, Nicholls & Stone 2022

Druon gregori is a new species described earlier this year in Cuesta-Porta et al. (2022), known only from the Santa Catalina and Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona on oaks in the Series Leucomexicanae. Our record (Figs. 27– 30) represents both a new state record (TX), and new plant record (Quercus mohriana Buckley × Quercus havardii Rydberg hybrid, iNaturalist observation 109484892, 103440540, 103440538) for the species. Additionally, a similar gall has been observed in New Mexico on Quercus turbellina Greene (iNaturalist observation 107224635), which would suggest that D. gregori can be found across these southwestern US states on Leucomexicanae oaks.

Andricus sp. C
Masked-woolly-tube-gall wasp
[Page 188]

Hosts: Quercus turbinella, oblongifolia

As the small monothalamous galls develop and possibly harden, their brown columns rise above the basal hair to show their round, often glabrous heads, leaving most of the fibers behind.

Range: Santa Catalina mountains, Payson, AZ