Scientific Name

Callirhytis cornigera

 

Hosts

Various oak species, especially pin, scrub, black, blackjack, and water oak. 

 

Symptoms

The current galls are two to three years old and they derive their name from the numerous cone-shaped horns which protrude through the galls' surface. Each horn houses a single larva which will mature during spring into a parthenogenetic (meaning eggs do not need to be fertilized) female. These females lay eggs on veins on the underside of newly formed oak leaves. Once the eggs hatch, elongated leaf vein galls form which enclose the larvae. In the mid-to-late summer, males and females emerge from the leaf galls, mate, and the females lay eggs on twigs. When these eggs hatch, new horned oak galls form around the larvae. After two to three years, the process starts all over again. 

 

Control

Please contact your local county extension office for current information.