Field Guide to Plant Galls of California And Other Western States

by Russo, Ron

• ISBN13: 9780520248861
• ISBN10: 0520248864
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-02-08
• Publisher: Univ of California Pr

Summary

Oak apples, honeydew and ambrosia galls, witches' brooms, and fasciations--all are types of plant galls, a commonly observed, yet little-understood botanical phenomenon. Often beautiful and bizarre, galls are growths of various shapes, sizes, and colors produced by host plants in response to invading organisms. This guide, a trove of natural history lore, explores this hidden realm, taking a fascinating look at the world of plant galls, the organisms that initiate them, their host plants, and their intricate behaviors. Focusing on native trees and shrubs, but also discussing several galls that occur on herbaceous and ornamental plants, it illuminates the complex interrelationship between botany and entomology and magnifies our awareness of plant communities in the West. ¥ Identifies more than 300 species of galls--95 on oaks, 22 on members of the rose family, 60 desert species, and 35 species that are new to science ¥ Describes plant galls from coastal dunes, the high Sierra, the Great Basin, forests throughout the western states, and the Mojave and Sonoran deserts ¥ Includes information on host selection, growth and development, predator and parasite defense, and animal and human uses of galls

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments and Preface	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
About This Guide	p. 4
What Are Galls?	p. 5
The Science of Gall Study	p. 6
A Brief History of Galls	p. 7
Where Galls Form	p. 9
Gall Inducers at a Glance	p. 10
Common Types of Galls	p. 13
Seasonal Appearance and Growth Rate	p. 19
Environmental Factors	p. 20
Damage to Host Plants	p. 22
Galls as Nutrient Sinks	p. 25
The Gall Community	p. 27
Parasite-Inquiline Influence on Gall Shape	p. 28
Gall-Inducer Defense	p. 29
Honeydew and Bees, Yellow Jackets, and Ants	p. 31
Insect Predators	p. 33
Birds and Mammals	p. 34
The Gall Inducers	p. 37
Bacteria	p. 38
Fungi	p. 40
Mistletoes	p. 45
Mites	p. 47
Aphids and Adelgids	p. 50
Psyllids	p. 52
Moths	p. 53
Beetles	p. 56
Leaf-mining Flies	p. 57
Tephritid Fruit Flies	p. 58
Midges	p. 60
Wasps	p. 63
Gall Accounts	p. 73
Tree Galls	p. 75
Shrub Galls	p. 217
Miscellaneous Galls	p. 333
Native Plant Galls	p. 333
Ornamental Plant Galls	p. 339
Epilogue	p. 342
Glossary	p. 343
References	p. 347
Index	p. 363
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