
''Neuroterus'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
of
gall wasp
Gall wasps, also incorrectly called gallflies, are hymenopterans of the family Cynipidae in the wasp superfamily Cynipoidea. Their common name comes from the galls they induce on plants for larval development. About 1,300 species of this generall ...
s that induce
galls
Galls (from the Latin , 'oak-apple') or ''cecidia'' (from the Greek , anything gushing out) are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to be ...
on
oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the
larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
Th ...
e within.
''Neuroterus saltatorius''—formerly named ''Cynips saltatorius''—produces such
Mexican jumping bean
Mexican jumping beans (also known as ' in Spanish) are seed pods that have been inhabited by the larva of a small moth ('' Cydia saltitans'') and are native to Mexico. The "bean" is usually tan to brown. They are from the shrub ''Sebastiania p ...
-like jumping galls about 1 to 1.5 mm in diameter.
This genus was first described by
Theodor Hartig
Theodor Hartig (21 February 1805 – 26 March 1880) was a German forestry biologist and botanist.
Biography
Hartig was born in Dillenburg. He was educated in Berlin (1824–1827), and was successively lecturer and professor of forestry at the Univ ...
in 1840. Like most
oak gall wasps, Neuroterus species have two generations each year, one sexual and one
asexual (or agamic). The galls induced by each generation of the same species are usually produced on different parts of the host plant.
Recent studies indicate this genus is
poly
Poly, from the Greek :wikt:πολύς, πολύς meaning "many" or "much", may refer to:
Businesses
* China Poly Group Corporation, a Chinese business group, and its subsidiaries:
** Poly Property, a Hong Kong incorporated Chinese property devel ...
- or
paraphyletic
In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...
, thus many species will likely be moved to other genera.
Species include:
*''
Neuroterus albipes
''Neuroterus albipes'' is a gall wasp that forms chemically induced leaf galls on oak trees which has both bisexual and agamic generations and therefore forms two distinct galls, the smooth spangle gall and Schenck's gall.Darlington, Page 162 ''N ...
''
*''
Neuroterus alexandrae
''Neuroterus'' is a genus of gall wasps that induce galls on oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the larvae within.
''Neuroteru ...
''
*''
Neuroterus aliceae
''Neuroterus'' is a genus of gall wasps that induce galls on oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the larvae within.
''Neuroteru ...
''
*''
Neuroterus anthracinus
''Neuroterus anthracinus'' is a widely distributed gall wasp that forms chemically induced leaf galls on oak trees. ''N. anthracinus'' has both sexual and agamic generations and in consequence forms two distinct galls, the oyster gall and April-b ...
''
*''
Neuroterus aprilinus
''Neuroterus'' is a genus of gall wasps that induce galls on oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the larvae within.
''Neuroteru ...
''
*''
Neuroterus bussae
''Neuroterus'' is a genus of gall wasps that induce Gall, galls on Oak, oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the larvae within.
' ...
''
*''
Neuroterus cerrifloralis
''Neuroterus'' is a genus of gall wasps that induce galls on oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the larvae within.
''Neuroteru ...
''
*''
Neuroterus lanuginosus
''Neuroterus'' is a genus of gall wasps that induce Gall, galls on Oak, oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the larvae within.
' ...
''
*''
Neuroterus numismalis
''Neuroterus numismalis'' is a gall wasp that forms chemically induced leaf galls on oak trees. It has both bisexual and agamic (parthenogenetic
Parthenogenesis (; from the Greek grc, παρθένος, translit=parthénos, lit=virgin, label ...
''
*''
Neuroterus oblongifoliae
''Neuroterus'' is a genus of gall wasps that induce galls on oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the larvae within.
''Neuroteru ...
''
*''
Neuroterus quaili
''Neuroterus'' is a genus of gall wasps that induce galls on oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the larvae within.
''Neuroteru ...
''
*''
Neuroterus quercusbaccarum
The common spangle gall on the underside of leaves and the currant gall on the male catkins or occasionally the leaves, develop as chemically induced distortions on pedunculate oak (''Quercus robur''), or sessile oak (''Quercus petraea'') trees, ...
''
*''
Neuroterus rosieae
''Neuroterus'' is a genus of gall wasps that induce galls on oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the larvae within.
''Neuroteru ...
''
*''
Neuroterus saltatorius
''Neuroterus'' is a genus of gall wasps that induce Gall, galls on Oak, oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the larvae within.
' ...
''
*''
Neuroterus serratae
''Neuroterus'' is a genus of gall wasps that induce galls on oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the larvae within.
''Neuroteru ...
''
*''
Neuroterus stonei
''Neuroterus'' is a genus of gall wasps that induce galls on oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the larvae within.
''Neuroteru ...
''
*''
Neuroterus tricolor
''Neuroterus'' is a genus of gall wasps that induce galls on oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the larvae within.
''Neuroteru ...
''
*''
Neuroterus umbilicatus
''Neuroterus'' is a genus of gall wasps that induce galls on oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the larvae within.
''Neuroteru ...
''
*''
Neuroterus valhalla
''Neuroterus'' is a genus of gall wasps that induce galls on oaks in which the wasp larvae live and feed. Some species produce galls that fall off the host plant and 'jump' along the ground due to the movement of the larvae within.
''Neuroteru ...
''
References
External links
*
Gall Photo Gallery*
*
Cynipidae
Hymenoptera genera
Taxa named by Theodor Hartig
Taxa described in 1840
{{Apocrita-stub