Favoritos de egordon88

Subtle stem swellings on Ericameria nauseosa. Multiple exit holes visible all over the galls. I opened them up and inside were several dead, unemerged adult chalcidoid wasps, which explains the multiple exit holes. However, as the last photo shows, in one part of the gall the middle is surrounded by tunnels. Do chalcids do this? Gall inducer likely Valentibulla dodsoni or (less likely) Aciurina opaca.

The more violet color of the corolla attracted me to this plant. From a distance, the sepals also appeared accuminate. But on closer inspection, the sepals seemed acute. P. calycocus is supposed to have glabrous anthers (pollen sacs) according to the references I've found. But this plant has short but distinct hairs on the undersides of the anthers, like P. digitalis is noted to have.

Also, note the droplets on the undersides of the anthers. A cursory literature search suggests that these hairs are nectaries.

Also, note the gratuitous staminode pic

Gall collected 12/17/21 HERE for rearing. Emerged 1/13/22. Wasp cut emergence hole but did not leave gall. Found dead inside. (There was only 1 leaf in the bag so the wasp may have retreated to avoid the rain in the last couple of days.) Gall had radiating fibers and a thin shell wall. Wasp has spotted wings.

Weld has a nice wasp description here, but since this wasp was already dead I was afraid to try to uncurl the legs or move it around too much. Supposedly USNM #10781 was ID'ed by Weld and in better shape than the type specimens.

I've dubbed this wasp Betty White in honor of the late great. (Don't laugh... she needed a name while having her post-mortem glamour shots!) Betty has been preserved for all time in vial 116, or at least until @mileszhang decides what to do with her.