Oak Leaf Mystery

I noticed this in the yard today. Many of these little red ball type things are on the underside of some oak leaves. Does anyone know what it is? Should we spray? Or is this normal?

Pam

It looks like a gall. Search for oak leaf galls on the web and see if you can match up an image. It looked like it may match a willow leaf gall sawfly.

My book says its disc galls produced by the gall wasp, Neuroterus albipes.

My book also says, neither this or any other gall on oak apprear to have any effect on the growth of the tree.

There are many different insects that cause galls. Some of them produce brown "hairy" galls, but none of them have any particular impact on the tree. If you carefully cut one open, you will find a small larvae in the center of them. Sometimes when the larvae emerges, you can see an exit hole in the old gall.

I remember looking at those on oak leaves as a kid. I've seen them on so many oak leaves that I just think of them as a normal feature, although I know they aren't produced by the tree. I'm relatively certain that they're nothing to worry about.

I cut one open....it looked like a seed.

Pam

I have the red ones also on my live oak trees in the Hill Country. The appear harmless, but would like a definitive answer as to what they really are. I'll keep searching.

http://www.plantanswers.com/live_oak_problems.htm
http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/mp-1315.html
http://www.ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/gallsOnOak.htm
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN022

Found a pic.....you are all right...it's a gall.

Thank you.

Pam

Welcome, Peeper


LouC