Andricus quercustozae Oak Gall Cecid Wasp Insect Cinipid Hymenopterus Vespidae

Description

Origin : Italy (Lazio)

Size : cm 2.5-3.5

Andricus quercustozae Oak Gall Cecidium cm 2.5-3.5 Wasp Insect Cinipid Hymenopterus Vespidae.
Oak Gall or Cecidium produced by the homonymous Cinipid.
Family: Cynipidae.
Attention: only the gall is for sale, not the insect that produced it!

Plant galls are abnormal growths caused by insects or other organisms such as bacteria, fungi and mites, are "cancer" formations  affecting the plants at various levels: roots, stem, branches, leaves and flowers; all parties ultimately a plant can develop galls.
Among the insect mainly responsible for the galls there are the Cynipidae, a small family of wasps, and small flies of Cecidomidae family, whose name literally means "gall makers". Although several species of aphids, psillidae, tentredinidae and curculionidae cause the formation of galls.
Everything depends on the reaction of the plant to chemicals that are injected into the tissues, these drugs induce the surrounding plant cells to grow and reproduce quickly, forming growths.
Sometimes the cause of the galls are the females which inject poison while lay their eggs. Depending on species, the galls may contain one or several larvae, they protect the larva developing and providing nutritious food.
Each species causes the growth of a particular type of gall.
The science that studies the galls is called cecidiology, from cecidium (gall) that derives from the greek kekis.