- #1
Jimster41
- 783
- 82
How does the Gall Wasp get an Oak tree to make these?
http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/galls-oak
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gall_wasp
I am not able to find anything other than "induced by chemicals secreted by the wasp" more or less. I have been looking at these over the last six months. They seem to be manipulations of the tree's leaf growth mechanism to make an incubator - Is it interfering at the genetic level? The galls receive/steal nutrient from the tree in a way that seems similar to a cancer. Is it in effect an intentionally induced and controlled tumor that an insect has evolved specifically tuned to control the growth mechanism of a form of life from an entirely different kingdom? Do we understand this chemistry? I collected these in the woods near home - cut a couple open to see the larval wasp. The large brown ones are mature the wasp exited through a little pin hole. I mean wtf? The structure in them is amazing. Totally different geometric path compared to a leaf.
http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/galls-oak
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gall_wasp
I am not able to find anything other than "induced by chemicals secreted by the wasp" more or less. I have been looking at these over the last six months. They seem to be manipulations of the tree's leaf growth mechanism to make an incubator - Is it interfering at the genetic level? The galls receive/steal nutrient from the tree in a way that seems similar to a cancer. Is it in effect an intentionally induced and controlled tumor that an insect has evolved specifically tuned to control the growth mechanism of a form of life from an entirely different kingdom? Do we understand this chemistry? I collected these in the woods near home - cut a couple open to see the larval wasp. The large brown ones are mature the wasp exited through a little pin hole. I mean wtf? The structure in them is amazing. Totally different geometric path compared to a leaf.