These started falling several weeks ago. They vary in color from bright red to light brown. I have counted as many as 19 of these attached in a cluster attached to one leaf. The clusters seem to build up like a pyramid. They are pointed at one end and on the other end they look like they had a stem attached.
2006-10-30 04:22:26 · 3 answers · asked by 3xf 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Botany
Oaks (and other trees) can be host to the larvae of certain insects which lay their eggs on or in the leaves or stems. The egg hatches and the larva burrows in. The plant tissue swells around the larva forming a bump or small sphere. The larva feeds off the sap in the plant. When the larva reaches the adult stage it eats it way out of the swelling and escapes. These swellings are called galls and can vary in size from a bb to a tennis ball depending on the species of insect and the type of plant.
There is one type of gall that falls off the leaf before the insect escapes. It then proceeds to jump around like a Mexican jumping bean until the insect escapes.
Search for galls at the following link.
2006-10-30 04:42:53 · answer #1 · answered by rethinker 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Those are probably oak galls, a swelling in reaction to an insect larva. Cut one open (careful not to cut yourself) and you'll see the little grub in a cavity in the middle of a gall.
2006-10-30 06:19:41 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
insect eggs?
2006-10-30 04:32:34 · answer #3 · answered by boots 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋