Gall over the ground in Houston

I’ve always called them simply “woolly oak galls.” That filled my needs, but North Carolina State Entomologist Emeritus James Baker has a much better name. He says they’re the “detachable woolly leaf gall,” caused by the work of the “detachable woolly leaf gall wasp.”

We’re more used to seeing this gall on the leaves of our live oaks during the growing season. Click image for larger view.
The ground and parking lot of the restaurant in Houston were covered with fallen live oak leaves that had been highly impacted by these woolly galls. Click image for larger view.

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If you’ve grown live oaks you’ve probably seen the marble-sized woody galls that develop on some trees’ twigs. Those are called “woody oak galls,” at least in my terms. And there are scores of other galls common to oaks. They seem to be fertile feeding grounds for gall-forming insects.

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Here is Mr. Baker’s complete report. It’s short, and I think you’ll find it to be very interesting. It will tell you what damage this insect does to your live oaks and what you could consider doing to stop them. (I recommend that you not bother with it.)

I’ve also borrowed Mr. Baker’s photo of the gall wasp that starts this whole process. Pretty amazing stuff!
Posted by Neil Sperry
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