Gall Week is over...

But our work is not done. Please don't document = photograph any new galls for this project. You can still upload all gall observations taken between 9/3-9/11. Future gall observations should go into other gall projects - local, global, etc.
Next, you can help identify galls. You don't need to know all galls everywhere. For example, you can filter our observations to your area and try to help others with species you already know how to ID.
It's also a great time to enjoy the incredible diversity of galls we all documented! Feel free to fave, write comments, and engage with others.
There are a couple of new resources I'd like to share with you -
@jeffdc and @megachile recorded a podcast/radio interview last week about galls and gallformers.org - https://www.toknowtheland.com/podcast/ep195
@naturesarchive and I recorded a webinar about galls' natural history last week, available here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oUAuMlMUEQ
And lastly, what were your favorite findings? what were your favorite findings by other people?
Merav

Posted on September 12, 2022 05:35 PM by

merav

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I had a lot of good stuff this year, including a first for iNat Cynipid which is always exciting! https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133544870 and one that was previously known only from Texas https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133858122

I did not find as many Cynipids this year but still managed 72 (last year it was 78 -- not a mast year this year here so no acorn galls at all).

I also managed to not leave my local area and only went to my usual places. I feel very lucky to have access to such diversity smack dab in the middle of millions of other people here in Suburban Washington, DC.

Posted by jeffdc over 1 year ago

This was an awesome week! I don't have faves yet - still working to get things entered. But searching for galls made me really look at plants. (I only thought I was looking before!) I ended up finding not only galls but also insects (134132134, 134003355) which were new to me. The limited time frame motivated me to get outside and moving even when the weather was iffy and I might otherwise have been a couch potato. And I became more familiar with the ID resources available on gallformers.org.
Many thanks to @merav, @jeffdc, @megachile, @calconey, @esummerbell and all the organizers and identifiers!

Posted by whateverwatcher over 1 year ago

I saw and learned so many new things during this week alone. @merav (and everyone), thank you so much for putting this event together and making it fun!! My favorite was this beautiful observation by you:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/134250720

Posted by norikonbu over 1 year ago

I am in love with these "UFO" galls that @anudibranchmom found:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133937857
I also love these "green tentacle" acorn galls found by @merav, @chilipossum and others:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/135270403

As far as my finds, I took a trip to SW Indiana over labor day and found some cool stuff. New to me species were:
Kokkocynips difficilis, in Posey County, Indiana
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133650871
Asphondylia lacinariae, in Crawford County, Indiana
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133532753

Back at home there were 2 more new-to-me species;
Phyllocoptes didelphis on Bigtooth Aspen, Wayne County, OH
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/134112359
and a small swollen bud gall, possibly Euura orbitalis on Salix Sp., Seneca County, OH.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/134350741

A couple of species likely nearing their northerly limit (never observed in Ohio) at least west of the Applachians:
These undescribed Taxodiomyia galls, Switzerland County, IN
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133472063
Disholcaspis spongiosa, Crawford County, IN
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133533002

Westward range extension of the possible bluegrass/Nashville Basin endemic, Celticecis pilosa, near Jefferson County KY;
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133488959

Posted by calconey over 1 year ago

Great finds, and interesting stories! I finally finished uploading my observations of the week. I'm glad I was able to go out and document galls, in the middle of a crazy heat wave. It reached 46C/ 115F here in the bay area in California...
I'd like to write another recap for this year's project for my website, so if you found something interesting, or have a good story I should include - let me know! This is what I had last year - https://www.bioblitz.club/post/gall-week-2021-recap

Posted by merav over 1 year ago

Gall Week is over...

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