Galls are beautiful and sometimes bizarre growths on plant tissues induced by another organism, such as a wasp, midge, or others. They often develop vivid colors and evocative shapes, and have fascinating natural histories.

And Adam Kranz is here to help us understand what a gall is, their lifecycles, how to find them, and about Gallformers.org, a website designed to be the authoritative resource for all USA/Canada plant galls.

Adam has a BA in Environmental Studies from Lawrence University in Wisconsin, and a Masters of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Science from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

We also discuss some particularly amazing galls that you’ll have to hear to believe. For example, Adam explains how the larvae inside the gall may steer the plant response throughout their lifespan! Check the full show notes for photos.

We discuss techniques for identifying galls in the field, including their attributes and how to differentiate them from other plant growths. Galls are common worldwide and provide ample opportunities for discovering and describing new species.

Adam also gives a nice overview of three extremely interesting galls that are among his favorites.

• Callirhytis quercusoperator
• Dryocosmus quercuspalustris
• Callirhytis quercusgemmaria

Each of these have fascinating natural histories, including peculiarities like hollow centers with free-rolling cells, and what might be considered a gall threesome, where a second cynipid wasp comes along and entirely changes the gall’s developmental trajectory. 

You can find Adam on twitter @gallformers, and on iNaturalist @megachile.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Links
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bugguide
Eiseman’s blog BugTracks
iNaturalist Gall Projects: California | North America

Books
Plant Galls of the Western United States, by Ronald Russo - HIGHLY recommended
Tracks and Signs of Insects and Other Invertebrates by Charley Eiseman - HIGHLY recommended
Weld Cynipid Books: Free! See the full show notes

Podcasts
Charley Eiseman
Dr. Doug Tallamy

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com

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