Bug FAQCherry Gall Wasp
Cynips quercusfolii · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Cynipidae
Also called: Oak Cherry Gall Wasp, Cherry Gall, Cherry Gall Causer
Galls appear on the underside of oak leaves, mainly along the second and third veins from the leaf base. The species has a two-generation (heterogonic) life cycle, with an asexual female generation emerging in late autumn or winter and a sexual generation emerging in early summer. In spring, the first-generation females induce small red galls that later release the second generation of both males and females.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The wasp lives on oak trees, with galls found on the underside of the leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
It follows a heterogonic cycle with an asexual female generation that emerges in late autumn or winter. A sexual generation of both males and females emerges from the spring galls in early summer, typically June.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Asexual females appear in late autumn or winter, and the second generation emerges in early summer. Red galls develop in spring from the buds laid by the first generation.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Same family (Cynipidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynips_quercusfolii
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.