Taxonomy and biology of Andricus morula, a new gall-wasp species (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini) from Mt Hermon, Israel

The Israeli fauna of oak galling wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) has been studied only sporadically until recently, with a focus on only two of the five native oak species in the country. As a result, numerous cynipid species in Israel are yet to be described, in particular from the northernmost parts of the country. In the present study we describe the first cynipd species from the Mount Hermon region, which harbors rich and unique flora and fauna. This region is home to Quercus cerris and Q. libani, two oak species that occur nowhere else in the country and their associated cynipid fauna has not been studied to date. Andricus morula n. sp. is currently known only from its sexual generation, which develops in gregarious mulberry-like catkin galls on these two oak species. Males and females of this species are described and compared to the closely related A. cecconii Kieffer, and data on their galls, phenology and natural enemies are reported