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The Halleria gall wasp – a new genus and species to science

Simon van Noort

(Research and Exhibitions Department, Iziko Museums of South Africa)

A new genus and species of gall wasp (Halleriaphagus phagolucida) was recently described by Simon van Noort (Iziko) and Roger Burks (University of California). This was part of a taxonomic revision redefining the circumscription of the family Ormyridae based on an evolutionary reassessment of both molecular and morphological characters.

The wasp species in the family Ormyridae are associated with plant galls, either as gall formers or as parasitoids of gall formers. Species in the African genus Asparagobius form galls on Asparagus (Asparagaceae); the American Blueberry stem gall wasp(Hemadas nubilipennis) produces galls on Blueberry plants (Vaccinium, Ericaceae); the South African Halleria gall wasp forms galls on the leaves of species of Tree Fuchsia (Halleria, Stilbaceae), whereas the numerous global species of Ormyrus are parasitoids of gall formers.

The Halleria gall wasp, Halleriaphagus phagolucida van Noort & Burks, 2024
The face of Halleriaphagus phagolucida
Halleriaphagus galls on leaves of the Tree-Fuschia (Halleria lucida)
Larvae of the Halleria gall wasp. They develop inside the central cavity in the middle of the gall, feeding on the surrounding gall tissue.
Gall split open to show the adult Halleria gall wasp inside the central cavity within which she has developed as a larva before pupating and emerging as an adult.
An adult female Halleria gall wasp still inside the central cavity of the gall she has developed in after emerging from her pupa and before having to chew her way out of the gall. The gall was split in half.
Gall of the Halleria gall wasp showing the exit hole chewed by the adult wasp allowing her to emerge from the gall to mate and lay eggs in fresh leaf tissue to continue the reproductive cycle. Formation of the gall is initiated either by chemicals injected along with the egg by the female, or by chemical emissions produced by the larva when it hatches from the egg. These chemicals result in abnormal plant growth resulting in a protective envelope for the developing gall wasp larva. The galls do not adversely affect the health of the host plant.

Galls do not provide fool-proof protection. There are parasitoid wasps, such as the new species of Torymus (Torymidae) shown below that can circumvent the protective gall by using a long ovipositor (egg-laying apparatus). This is inserted into the gall to reach the developing gall wasp larva on which an egg is laid. The parasitoid wasp larva will then feed on the gall wasp larva eventually killing it.

A new species of Torymus currently being described by Simon van Noort and Petr Janšta that attacks the Halleria gall wasp.

The Halleria gall wasp was described as a new species in a paper published in the journal Systematic Entomology:

van Noort S, Mitroiu M-D, Burks R, Gibson G, Hanson P, Heraty J, Janšta P, Cruaud A, Rasplus J-Y. 2024. Redefining Ormyridae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) with establishment of subfamilies and description of new genera. Systematic Entomology 49: 447–494. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12630

Simon van Noort is Curator of Entomology having conducted research on wasp systematics and evolution at Iziko since 1992.
https://www.iziko.org.za/researcher/simon-van-noort
http://www.figweb.org/Research/Laboratories/van_Noort/index.htm
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Simon_Noort

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