bob-dodge's Journal

Disholcaspia prehensa Clasping Twig Gall, Cynipid wasp

Plant galls are produced in response to mechanical and/or chemical stimuli of the invading organisms. In many of these cases the gall is a nursing site for the offspring of mites, psyllids, aphids, wasps and other insects. Galls are nutrient sinks, that is, food for plant growth is redirected into gall growth. There is no known benefit, such as the wasps feeding on aphids and other small insects that are likely to be found feeding on the host tree. Adult gall wasps only live for a week or two after emergence and do not feed during that period of their life.

Antagonistic insects (bees, yellow jackets and ants) are drawn to some galls because of the gall’s production of honeydew. Cynipid wasps, such as the Clasping Twig Gall Wasp (see photo above), Acorn Gall Wasp and the Round Honeydew Gall Wasp all stimulate the production and release of sweet phloem exudates. This honeydew attracts bees, ants and yellow jackets that attack other species of insects attracted by the sweet substance. This makes it almost impossible for parasitic wasps and others to invade the galls. This honeydew is an important food source for the yellow jackets and ants in late summer and fall.

Live Oak Petiole Gall Wasp and Eumayria eldoradensis, both cynipid wasps, attack immature acorns of live oak species. Adult wasps puncture the acorn to lay eggs. A bacterium, Erwinia quercina, enters the acorn through these holes. After a bit an ooze develops and begins dripping. Without the bacteria the gall wasp activity would not be noticed. The effect of the bacterium on the gall wasp eggs is unknown.

INTERESTING ADDITIONAL FACTS
• Some cynipid wasps remain in diapause (prepupil sleep) for a year or more before completing metamorphosis into adults.
• Many species of cynipid wasps have two alternating generations that cause different galls on different plant parts at different times of the year. This is known as Heterogeny. Typically there are two modes of reproduction. The spring generation is made up of males and females and reproduces sexually. The summer-fall generation is typically female only (Parthenogenesis) that results in next year’s spring galls bearing males and females. There are many gall insects where there are no known males in the population.
• Galls may occur on leaves, stems and branches and may be caused by rust fungi, mistletoe, flies, moths, beetles and wasps. World wide there about 13,000 species of gall-inducing arthropods. In the U.S. there are over 2,000 known species and of that about 1,000 of them are cynipid wasps.

Disholcaspis plumbella Beaked twig gall wasp

Observed on Quercus durata, trail 15 near the intersection with trail 16.
Oval/round and peaked at one end. Monothalmous. Rusty red with yellow spots. I cut one open to reveal the central larval chamber. One larva observed. Collected three on twigs with hope to observe adult wasp. Search of web sites disclosed no photos of this particular wasp adult.

See also: Plant Galls of the California Region by Russo.

Observed and photographed (photo 1) another gall on Q. durata, Disholcaspia prehensa; The Clasping Twig Gall. There was evidence of phloem sap being attended to by a few reddish ants.

Cynipid wasps are the most common gall wasps in California. The larva secretes enzymes that convert plant starch into soluble sugar which the larva feed on. Cynipids have a dead-end intestine and, therefore release no fecal matter until diapause.

Photos by author
Bob Dodge
March, 2007

This actually begins early on an April morning in 1906 when Mother Earth let loose a massive earthquake about four miles west of San Francisco. Not only did the quake lead to massive damage in that fair city but also to cities and towns like San Jose and Palo Alto, thirty to forty miles to the south. Throughout the region, massive land shifts took place leaving toppled buildings, landslides, crumpled roads and surface ruptures as evidence of that destructive force.

100 years later I find myself leading a group of school children out onto Monte Bello Ridge in search of evidence of that massive quake and the root cause of it all: the San Andreas Fault. This field excursion is a part of a program developed by volunteers under the guidance of Environmental Volunteers, an organization founded to provide hands-on science experiences to elementary school children.

So, a few days after a 90-minute classroom presentation featuring learning stations on such subjects as the rock cycle, plate tectonics, fault types, seismograph or seismic shake table, the students find themselves standing on an open ridge surrounded by little but grassland, hills and, to the west, the tree covered coastal mountain range. I assure the six to eight students in my charge that the entire two hour hike will not be spent just talking about geology and tectonics for that would be too boring. Here surrounding us is nature at its best and that we will explore holes, tracks, scat, trails, plants, ants and anything else that might present itself to us that day.

From the ridge we can see the long linear valley to the south that was created by the San Andreas. On a clear day one can see the tip of Mount Loma Prieta where, nearby, the 1989 earthquake was centered. But today that is not possible so we concentrate on the line of trees before us and note how this line bends off to the left before disappearing below the undulating hills. Now we discuss plate boundaries and how that line of trees marks the fault and that those hills on the other side belong to the North American Plate, while where we stand belongs to the Pacific Plate. It is here we discuss, despite our closeness to the fault, why we would be safe if a large quake were to strike nearby, right now (their classroom environment verses where they are standing, i.e.: there is nothing to fall on them).

I can see a few eyes beginning to glaze over and know that I have talked too long so our group moves on down the trail. “What’s this?” “Poop!” “No. Here we call it scat.” The scat is examined, looking at size and shape and, if dry, contents to determine what animal might have left it and what might have been eaten. Further on we find coyote bush, occasional wildflowers and the invasive yellow star thistle. Pressure ridges are discovered and discussed and then we come to my favorite place where each student is given a rock, which I choose. Then through the magic of a chemical reaction (HCL reacts with calcium) they discover an important clue as to where the land they are standing on came from.

We arrive at the tree-lined fault itself and find the large sag pond and the flora and fauna associated with it: newts, snails, frogs, salamanders, oaks, vines, lichen and moss are all items for exploration. Winter rains bring Bitter Boletes, Turkey Tails, Jack-o-Lanterns and Earthstars (Mushrooms/fungi), all worth a moment or two of examination. Somewhere along the way I always have two special questions to ask, “Why do plants have leaves?” and “Why do plants have flowers?” Rarely do I get easy answers and so we spend a few minutes with each, exploring the complexities of nature.

By now, we have crossed the road to the Los Trancos Preserve and the North American Plate. Here we look for the telltale slopes and terraces but they are now mostly covered by the under-story of this mixed woodland landscape. It is here we encounter an ancient looking fence, built to resemble the one that crossed the fault that April morn a hundred years ago. The rancher found a four-foot gap in his fence, a visual display of the distance the earth had shifted in this area.

Finally we cross back to the Pacific Plate side and wind our way up the trail to return to the parking lot. New plants present themselves as we enter into the Chaparral plant community so brief stops are made, not only to discuss the new species but also to catch our breath. Then it is onward and upward, hoping that the air will have cleared enough so we can see the trace of our famous fault as it heads northwestward, under the Crystal Springs and San Andreas reservoirs to exit the peninsula in Daly City.

Upon reaching the end I always hope to have time to review what has been discovered and observed. “Give me something you learned today.” Usually answers relate to animals, rarely to the purpose of the trip. ”What did you like best today?” Again the animal related items rate high, especially if we have seen a newt. Good-byes are said from both sides and we head our separate ways: I, hoping they will remember something valuable from this experience on Monte Bello, and that my efforts will not have been in vain.

February, 2007

January, 2004
Too often we are bound by the expectations of what we ought to see and feel rather than what we can see and feel at a given moment. What if we were to stop at some point during a hike, close our eyes and try to feel our surroundings? Where are we? What do we perceive through our senses that tells us what surrounds us? What are we getting from being in a natural area? What is the natural world saying to us?

People have a need for wildness, a signal of belonging, of balance, of well being. Many have lost their connection with nature, being more concerned with doing their eight or ten mile walk rather than stopping to look, listen and feel the land they are walking upon. The living earth is our true connection to our path through life. Without the living earth our life is nothing. Yet with the earth a fullness of life, all that there can possibly be if we allow it to happen in a sacred balance… it with us, us with it.

Open space draws us to it, seeking solitude, a sense of well being and a feeling unencumbered by society’s morals and restrictions. Thus when new but recently restricted wilderness areas are opened to the public there is a rush to experience this new wilderness. A rush to be among the first, rightly or wrongly, to flush with the knowledge of being one of the first to tread where few have tread; to enter a land that has had a ban against treading upon it for more than a century except for those who were caretakers of this land. Now the public has the opportunity to experience land we have passed by numerous times and observed through our auto windows but were unable to experience first hand.

But will we experience this land and all that it provides or will we be one of those wanting only to hike the eight miles as efficiently as possible, seeing little and experiencing even less?

John Muir once wrote, “Most people are on the world, not in it – have no conscious sympathy or relationship to anything about them – undiffused, separate, and rigidly alone like marbles of stone, touching but separate.”

Let me be a part of the world. That while being ‘on’ I am also ‘in’. To have some understanding of the natural world and its processes and to appreciate all that the world has given me would make my existence here on earth worthwhile.

So as I and others lead hikes into the watershed, my hope is to have a chance to stop, look and listen. I want to feel my surroundings and come away with a part of the natural world tucked inside my body. I admire those who are able to get out and do their eight or ten mile hikes. I admire even more those who stop to appreciate their surroundings, who try to communicate with and understand why the natural world is so important to their inner and outer well being.

The above was written several days prior to my first docent adventure into the San Francisco Watershed property as part of a public access program. My fear, obviously, was that the group would be mainly hikers with little interest in the plants, history or geology. We met this morning at the gate to the quarry and at 10:00, after a brief introduction, our group of eight plus three TLVs(trail leader volunteers) began our walk up the maintenance road.

While the beginning of the walk is uphill through primarily non-native cypress planted many years ago, the rest of the walk was leisurely though tiring. Stands of fir and pine shade most of the walk with a scattering of oaks and windfalls creating openings where the sun warmed the earth and the beginnings of spring growth was evident. Hounds tongue, Manroot, hemlock, Zigadenus, Cow Parsnip and Stinging nettle were all showing new growth. Only Forget-me-nots were in bloom and the Ceanothus had fat blossom buds.

We did have small discussions relating to geology of the area and a smattering of ideas relating to the Ohlone Indians who once roamed these hills. I did find several samples of limestone with which I demonstrated the acid test for calcium describing how this is evidence that the land was once part of the ocean floor.

So… my worries regarding this hike were unnecessary. The group was varied and for the most part fun to be with. While the walk itself I found, as I feared, not very interesting it was a good time and a beautiful day.

Saturday, July 27, I was mending a leaf blower bag near the front of the garage. I was in the process of finishing up and was standing in the open doorway when a Turtle dove flew down to the asphalt and began some strange behavior. The dove spread its wings and began flapping them, the body shuddering and walking in short circles. Several times it put its head under one of the wings as if trying to rid itself of something. Several times it stopped only to resume this strange behavior. It was as if it was having a seizure or being stung by a yellowjacket or totally unable to fly, which I knew was not true since I had seen it fly down to the asphalt. Then it stopped again and acted perfectly normal and then again resumed the odd behavior.

Getting bored with this strange sight I went around the corner to put something in the trashcan there and discovered a neighbor’s cat, which immediately turned and ran towards the street. The dove’s behavior immediately returned to normal and the puzzle of the behavior was solved. I had never before observed doves acting in such a manner but had watched killdeer, avocets and stilts acting as if wounded or disabled when one wandered too close to their nest or young. I did not see where the fledgling was but I suspect that it was up in the pyracantha bush. One more odd fact to add to the memory bank I call my mind.

December, 2002
For the past few weeks I have heard occasionally a soft ‘burrrrr’ coming from somewhere near. I was sure it was a bird of some sort but since I did not have my binoculars with me it remained a mystery. This has puzzled me but not enough to go in search of the source of the sound. Last week, between storms, Mary and I went for a walk in the SLAC corridor that is part of Jasper Ridge. On the way back I spotted a thrush-like bird in the top of a tree. I assumed it was a robin but then I heard that soft ‘burrrr’ and brought the binoculars up to my eyes. There before me was a Varied Thrush and as I looked it again raised its head and issued the soft ‘burrrr’. Mystery solved.

PRIBILOF ISLANDS BIRD LIST
JUNE 21-23, 2004

Mallard Long-tailed duck
Northern pintail Green-winged teal
Harlequin duck Northern Fulmar
Red-faced cormorant Least sandpiper
Rock sandpiper Red-necked phalarope
Parasitic jaeger Black-headed gull
Red-legged kittiwake Black-legged kittiwake
Common murre Thick-billed murre
Parakeet auklet Least auklet
Crested auklet Horned puffin
Tufted puffin Barn swallow
Winter wren American robin
Lapland longspur Snow bunting
McKay’s bunting Gray-crowned rosy finch
Common Eider

ADDITIONAL BIRDS FROM HOMER, SEWARD, ANCHORAGE
Pelagic cormorant Double-crested cormorant
Glaucous gull Mew gull
Spruce grouse Violet-green swallow
Northwestern crow Boreal chickadee
Varied thrush Black-billed magpie
Hermit thrush Swainson’s thrush
Ruby-crowned kinglet Orange-crowned warbler
Yellow-rumped warbler Yellow warbler
White-crowned sparrow Savannah sparrow
Mocking bird Canada goose
Tundra swan Eared grebe
Bald eagle Pidgeon gillemot
Sandhill crane White-winged crossbill
Oyster catcher Surf bird
Marbled murrelet Sooty shearwater
Dark-eyed junco Spotted sandpiper
Arctic tern

MAMMALS
Humpbacked whale, Fin whale, Fur seal, Stellers sealion, Northern sea otter, Harbor seal, Dall porpoise. Scat from bear, moose, wolf

PLANTS
Lupine; Lousewort, Cinqfoil;, Wild celery; Poppy, Alaska yellow; Rock jasmine; Arctic willow; Violet; Beach bluebell, oysterleaf; Capitate valerian; Equisetum; Bering Sea chickweed; Spring beauty; Jacob’s ladder; Cloudberry; Moss campion; chocolate lily; Scurvy grass, thrift buckwheat; Fern; Angelica

We were out at the Ridge today and had a great hike after all the recent rains. Our trail route was 12 - 10- F - 3 -1 for a two and a half hour walk. One special note: I am certain I heard that special 'chittering' produced by Golden Eagles. We were near the junction of Trails 9 and 10, with the sound coming from the south, up the next ridge. This was the same area where we saw a Golden flying early last month.

Back to the walk. In addition to Goldfields, Trillium, Zigadenus and Shooting Stars we saw the red, white and blue of spring (Indian Warrior, Milkmaids and Hound's Tongue). There were few tracks except for one individual we nicknamed "Big Foot" for the size of the hiking boots he/she was wearing.. Our focus became the fungus family so here are a few we saw (and looked up):
Turkey Tails, Crown Cups, Witch's Butter, Earthstar, Candy Caps, Scarlet Waxy Caps, Chanterelle and Split Gill. This last one I termed a Turkey Tail at first but it was truly different. Shaped like a Turkey Tail it was hairy white on the upper surface but gilled underneath. The gills were grooved and radiating out from the stem attachment region. There was also a shelf fungus which may have been an Oak Conk or and Artist's Conk (the latter I think).

Twenty minutes or so after leaving the Preserve it began to rain gently but we no longer cared for we were safe in our home.

Rock wrens showed up again here in Idaho last year after having disappeared for a number of years. Two nesting pairs have been seen here this year. One pair is still here; maybe both pair.

Can't remember the reason I went to the internet to find more information about them than Sibley's had, but I found out about their habit of building a rock pathway (or something like that) by their nest.

My brother in law happened to tell me that he knew where the wrens appeared to have a nest 2 years ago. I pulled the lumber from the spot and found it; probably lucky mice had not destroyed it. I was surprised by the rock's size. There wasn't much space under the board so I'm wondering how they did this. Did they? It certainly doesn't look like a random collection of rocks and right next to a nest.

Learn something new every day.

Jack,
Very interesting and much larger than I would have expected. I once had a small empty can that I used to hold old nails and screws and I kept it in a drawer down an an open space under the dining room. The can was one of those small #1 cans that hold about a cup and a half. I had inadvertently left the drawer slightly open for a while and then one day I opened it and a Bewick's wren flew out. She had filled the can with twigs and then made her nest just slightly below the rim. Actually it was much the size of a hummingbird's nest.

As to the stones it is hard to say but the way they are laid out as they are, looks unnatural, almost like a little porch. Now, if the rocks had been stacked up some to hold the board a little higher you might have had a scientific discovery.

Bob

Jack,

The more I look at the photos you sent the more I see. First was the rebar sticking out of the concrete foundation which, of course, made the original opening by not letting the wooden pieces sit right on one another. The rocks, shale or slate I guess, appears to be much in the manner that we humans set out slabs of rocks for our patios so that we have a nice surface to walk upon in our bare feet. Not to anthropomorphize these small wonderful creatures BUT ... can this be intelligent design at work and not the effects of evolution as described by Darwin? Does this go beyond evolution and into intuitive animal behavior yet to be described by science? Naw, it was described in Sibley’s so it is not new, yet a wonderful discovery.

May 2007 e-mail
Ned,
(Ned has since died and traveled on to his final resting place among the tribal elders he respected and honored so much. He taught me; I tried to listen and comprehend his teachings, and in the end he reached out to me feeling that I might have retained some of his teachings. Check out IAIS, Washington, CT)

I have not been ignoring you intentionally, just pondering your request. I really don't have any favorite quotes or poems that I have committed to heart but do respond quietly within myself to words written with great thought. I do have a book that was given to me that has many quotations that tickle my inner self, either to inspire me to write something like it or just to say that I truly understand this item. The book, "A Nature Lover's Book of Quotations", has several that I will relate to you and give you the reasons that they stick with me so much.

The first is:
The quieter you become the more you will hear. __ RAM DAS
I really identify with this quote as I walk or hike throughout Jasper Ridge listening for the sounds of nature. The chirp of the chipmunk, the rustle of the lizard in the pathside grass. The calls of the raven, jay, kite, thrasher and quail. I hear things that others do not because I pay attention to those sounds and have learned to identify them. The extreme of this was walking one day when I heard a sound that was strange to me. I stopped, listened some more and found the source of the sound.... a trail of foraging ants! The scurrying back and forth of ants, some carrying larvae in one direction while others racing in the other with food items tightly clasped in their jaws. I could also smell them once I got close enough.

Another quote is:
We regard all created beings as sacred and important, for everything has a wochangi, or influence, which can be given to us, through which we may gain a little more understanding, if we are attentive.
BLACK ELK

The influence of quotes, such as the above, is to hopefully gain a little more understanding and to prepare to pass this understanding on to others as a means of feeling a part of nature not just an observer of nature.