GALL RECORDER’S REPORT FOR 2021, INCLUDING ASPHONDYLIA LATHYRI RÜBSAAMEN, CONTARINIA ACROCECIS STELTER AND DASINEURA ACERIS (SHIMAL) (DIPTERA: CECIDOMYIIDAE) NEW TO THE SUFFOLK LIST JERRY BOWDREY
Interest in galls is on the increase internationally and new publications, together with social media and websites, have meant it is now usually possible to identify problem specimens reliably and quickly. In addition, new species are being added to the British list on a regular basis and can also be tracked as they spread across Europe. The Suffolk records below are my own and cover mainly the years 2020-2021.
Diptera: Cecidomyiidae - Gall midges
Three new Suffolk species not included in the Suffolk Diptera checklist and additions, (Vincent, 2019; Bowdrey 2020), were found during 2021. Nomenclature follows Gagné & Jaschhof (2021).
Asphondylia lathyri Rübsaamen New to Suffolk Middleton TM405666 11. viii.2021. A single galled pod containing a yellowish orange larva (Fig. 1 a&b) was found on a stand of Lathyrus pratensis (Meadow vetchling) growing on a roadside verge at Middleton-cum-Fordley.
Contarinia acrocecis Stelter New to Suffolk Kelsale-cum-Carlton, Tiggins Lane (TM387657) 30.vii.2021. (Bowdrey, 2021).
A rosette gall on the terminal shoot of Galium mollugo (Hedge Bedstraw) (Fig. 2) was originally identified as being induced by Contarinia molluginis (Rübsaamen), but examination of the sternal spatula of a dead larva within the gall more closely resembled that of C. acroceris figured by Stelter (1962). This identification was suggested by Danish specialist Hans-Henrik Bruun from images posted on the British Plant Gall Facebook Group and supported from the same images by Belgian specialist Sébastien Carbonnelle (pers. comm.). Interestingly, C. acrocecis was provisionally identified by Harris (2014) from inflorescence galls on G. mollugo collected in 2013 and 2014 at Hundon in Suffolk (TL4773) by Michael Chinery, but was not added to the British list as there were discrepancies in the site of the gall and larval colouration.
a b
Figure 1. Asphondylia lathyri a: galled pod, b: opened to show larva.
Figure 2. Gall of Contarinia acrocecis showing distorted inner leaves.
It now seems that both plant organs can be galled, as suggested by Buhr (1964).
Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 57 (2021)
Contarinia solani (Rübsaamen) 2nd Suffolk Record (Bowdrey, 2020)
Flowers of Solanum dulcamara (Bittersweet) galled by Contarinia solani were found by the level crossing east of Rookery Park, Yoxford (TM402678) on 4.vii.2021.
Dasineura aceris (Shimal) New to Suffolk TM146738 Eye 3.ix.2021 on Acer sp. New to Suffolk
An ornamental maple, originally identified as A. saccharinum (Silver maple), was noticed to bear leaves that were wrinkled, curled and rolled upwards, with the veins swollen (Fig. 3). The rolls contained white cecid larvae.
Initially, the galls were attributed to D. irregularis, but Margaret Redfern (pers. comm.) informed me that the Nearctic species D. aceris had recently been recorded on introduced Acer sp. in London by Brian Wurzell.
I sent a digital image to Brian and he confirmed (pers. comm.) that the appearance of the galls was consistent with those of D. aceris that he had found in North London. He also suggested that the host tree might be A. rubrum (Red maple) or its hybrid with A. saccharinum, A. x freemanii, rather than A. saccharinum, although the image showed insufficient detail of the leaf to be absolutely certain of this.
Hymenoptera: Cynipidae- Gall Wasps
Figure 3. Dasineura aceris galls on Acer sp.
Nomenclature follows Forshage et al. (2017)
No new species of gall wasps were found in Suffolk in the years under consideration, but it is probably only a matter of time until the introduced Oriental Chestnut gall wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu) is found in the County. The galls of this notifiable pest species are now common on Castanea sativa (Sweet chestnut) in the London area and the species has already spread as far as Central Essex.
Aulacidea pilosellae (Kieffer)
The so-called ‘herb gall wasps’ are much less studied than their relatives on oaks and the tiny midrib galls of Aulacidea pilosellae on Pilosella officinarum (Mouse-ear hawkweed) are especially difficult to find. However, at Blythburgh churchyard (TM450753) scores of galls were present on plants in the short-mown turf on 10.ix.2020 (Fig. 4 a&b). The short sward benefits this particular plant, which is generally common in Suffolk churchyards, the gall, though, is not invariably present at such sites.
Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 57 (2021)
Figure 4. galls of Aulacidea pilosellae a, upper; b, underside of leaf. a b
Andricus gemmeus (Giraud)
First found in Britain in 2008 on Quercus robur (Pedunculate oak) (Bowdrey, 2009) and is now widespread in the south and extending its range northwards. A young, potted Quercus frainetto (Hungarian oak) in my Kelsale garden (TM387650) was covered in agamic bud galls of this species on 28.ix.2020. The much smaller gall of its alternating, sexual generation affects buds of Quercus cerris (Turkey oak) in spring and despite having a Turkey oak growing nearby, has not been observed, indeed, this gall has yet to be recorded in Britain.
Cynips longiventris Hartig
Galls induced by the five British species of Cynips are known to undergo periods of great scarcity (Niblett,1940 as Diplolepis) and, with the exception of Cynips quercusfolii (L.) (the Cherry gall), this has been the case in Suffolk in recent years. I was pleased, therefore, to find a single example of an agamic gall of Cynips longiventris Hartig on a stunted Quercus robur growing near the Minsmere blocks (TM474645) on 19. viii.2020.
Andricus seminationis (Giraud)
This species induces spindle-shaped galls on catkins of oak causing them to swell and remain attached to the tree (Figure 5). Several examples were present on a single Quercus robur at Carlton Park (TM380638) on 29.vi.2021. There is, as yet no known sexual generation for this species.
Callirhytis erythrocephala (Giraud)
Galls within acorns of Quercus cerris (Turkey oak) in Britain are usually attributed to the present species, but now another member of the genus,
Figure 5. Catkin galls of Andricus seminationis showing thickened catkin rachis.
Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 57 (2021)
C. erythrostoma (Dettmer, 1933), has been found galling its acorns on the Continent (Nicholls & Pujade-Villar, 2020).
I contributed specimens of adult wasps from Kelsale-cum-Carlton, Suffolk together with some from Wenham Parva, Essex to an international study on Callirhytis, based in Australia and coordinated by Dr James Nicholls. Sequencing of both collections of material confirmed the physical identification of C. erythrocephala (Nicholls, pers. comm.), but C. erythrostoma might well be present in Britain too, it can be distinguished by its more separated larval cells and the reddish-brown, as opposed to black, colouration of the adult insect.
Acari: Eriophyoidea Gall mites
Nomenclature follows Davis et al. (1982)
Vasates quadripedes Shimer
This mite induces small, pustule-like galls on the leaves of the introduced ornamental tree Acer saccharinum (Silver maple). It was found at Saxmundham (TM384635) on 9.xi.2020 and at Africa Alive!, Kessingland (TM516861) on 20.vi.2021. This mite is likely to be spread by the horticultural trade.
Rhizaria: Plasmodiophorida: Plasmodiophoraceae - Protozoan Slime-moulds Nomenclature follows Neuhauser & Kuchmair (2011).
Sorosphaerula veronicae (Schröter) Neuhauser & Kuchmair New to Suffolk?
A return visit to Blythburgh churchyard on 24.iii.2021 produced an unfamiliar gall on stems of Veronica chamaedrys (Germander speedwell) (Fig. 6). The swelling is induced by the protozoan Sorosphaerula veronicae, formerly classified as a fungus. This gall is considered rare (Redfern et al. 2011) and the identification was confirmed from digital images of the gall and spores by Dr B. Spooner. I have been unable to trace any other Suffolk records.
As always, I am pleased to receive both records and specimens of Suffolk galls. Please include details of host plant, grid reference and date found.
Acknowledgements
I thank Hans-Heinrik Bruun, Sébastien Carbonnelle, Margaret Redfern, Brian Spooner and Brian Wurzell for confirming identifications, providing literature and advice.
Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 57 (2021)
References
Bowdrey, J.P. (2009). Andricus gemmeus (Giraud, 1879), a gall wasp (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) new to the British Isles. Cecidology, 24: 34-38.
Bowdrey, J.P. (2020). Three species of Cecidomyiidae – new additions to the Suffolk checklist. Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc., 56: 14-16.
Buhr, H, (1964). Bestimmungstabellen der Gallen (Zoo- und Phytocecidien) an Planzen Mittel- und Nordeuropas. 2 vols. Jena, Gustav Fischer.
Davis, R., Flechtmann, C.H.W. Boczek, J.H., & Barké, H.E. (1982). Catalogue of Eriophyid mites (Acari: Eriophyoidea). Warsaw, Warsaw Agricultural University Press.
Forshage, M., Bowdrey, J., Broad, G.R., Spoone B.M. & Van Veen, F. (2017). Checklist of British and Irish Hymenoptera- Cynipoidea. Biodiversity Data Journal, 5: 1-76. Biodiversity Data Journal e8049 doi: 10.3897/BDJ.5. e8049.
Gagné, R.J. & Jaschhof, M. A. (2021). Catalog of the Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) of the world. 5th edition, Digital. Washington, U.S.Department of Agriculture, 816pp. https://www.ars.usda.gov./ARSUserFiles/80420580/G
Harris, K. (2014). First British record of Contarinia acrocecis Stelter? Cecidology, 29(2): 73.
Neuhauser, S. & Kuchmair, M. (2011). Sorosphaerula nom.n. for the Plasmodiophorid Genus Sorophaea J.Schröter, 1886 (Rhizaria: Endomyxa: Phytomyxea: Plasmodiophorida). Journal of Eukaryote Microbiology, 58(5): 469-470.
Niblett, M. (1940). The cynipid genus Diplolepis. Entomologist, 73: 145-49.
Nicholls, J.A. & Pujade-Villar, J. (2020). Re-instatement of the species name Callirhytis erythrostoma (Dettmer, 1933), with comments on other Callirhytis species. Buttletí de la Institucío Catalana d’Historia Natural, 84: 31-34.
Redfern, M., Shirley, P. & Bloxham, M. (2011). British plant galls. 2nd ed. Preston Montford, Field Studies Council.
Vincent, P. (2019). The Diptera of Suffolk. Part 2: Bibionoidea ,Bolitophilidae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae, Keratoplatidae, Mycetophilidae, Sciaridae, Cecidomyiidae. Trans Suffolk Nat. Soc., 55: 1-27.
Jerry Bowdrey 10, Dennys Lane Kelsale IP17 2PD jeremybowdrey@btinternet.com
Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 57 (2021)