An "oak apple gall" is a large, round, apple-like growth found on the leaves or twigs of oak trees, caused by chemicals injected by the larvae of certain gall wasps, especially in the family Cynipidae. These galls measure about 2–5 cm in diameter, are initially green and spongy, and later turn cream, pink, or brown as they mature.
The female gall wasp injects an egg into the developing buds of an oak, and chemicals from the larva stimulate the oak's tissue to form the protective and nutritional gall around them. Inside each oak apple gall, a single wasp larva develops in a central chamber surrounded by either a spongy or fibrous mass, feeding on special nutritive tissues produced by the plant. Oak apple galls are mostly harmless to the host oak tree and are a common part of the ecosystem.
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The female gall wasp injects an egg into the developing buds of an oak, and chemicals from the larva stimulate the oak's tissue to form the protective and nutritional gall around them. Inside each oak apple gall, a single wasp larva develops in a central chamber surrounded by either a spongy or fibrous mass, feeding on special nutritive tissues produced by the plant. Oak apple galls are mostly harmless to the host oak tree and are a common part of the ecosystem.
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